Russia and Vietnam have agreed to deepen cooperation in defense, security, and military technology, as well as to exchange information on the activities of “hostile forces and foreign special agencies,” according to a joint statement issued following talks between Vladimir Putin and Vietnamese President To Lam in Moscow on Sept. 9. Additionally, Putin announced that Russia will soon introduce a visa-free regime for Vietnamese nationals.
The two sides agreed to “enhance cooperation between military branches” and cooperate in maritime security, military personnel training, science, technology, and engineering. After the talks, To Lam stated that Russia and Vietnam intend to “deepen defence, security, and military technical cooperation as a strategic pillar of our ties.”
A separate clause in the joint statement addresses cooperation in the field of information security. Russia and Vietnam agreed to intensify the exchange of information and expertise “in countering the conspiracies, intentions, and activities of hostile forces and foreign special agencies,” which, in the document’s wording, are aimed at interfering in internal affairs and influencing state, political, and legislative institutions. The two sides also stated their readiness to expand cooperation “in combating crime in all its forms and manifestations, including cybercrime” and to continue cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
