MOSCOW
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday departed for a three-day official visit to Russia.
“Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, accompanied by a high-level Vietnamese delegation, departed from Hanoi at noon … for an official visit to Russia from March 22–25, at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin,” the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported.
Ahead of the visit, Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang said the visit is intended “to give new impetus to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries.
The parties will use the upcoming meetings to discuss cooperation priorities, covering renewable energy, infrastructure, high technology, biomedicine, health care, and personnel training, she said.
Separately, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi told Russian media that several important agreements are expected to be signed, concerning nuclear power plant projects and energy cooperation.
The visit comes as the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, with Tehran retaliating with repeated drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Iran has also effectively closed to most ships the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transit route that normally handles about 20 million barrels per day and roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade.
