Russia, Vietnam: Strategic Relations Gather Momentum

Recent diplomacy between Vietnam and Russia shows the two countries building momentum to take advantage of the considerable overlap in their strategic interests. On May 15, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung concluded his visit to Russia, where he met Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, and headed to Belarus to meet Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich. Dung's trip to Russia mostly consisted of routine bilateral discussions, but it shows the solid foundations on which Russo-Vietnamese relations stand.

Vietnam has an interest in inviting a third power into the region to give it an option for economic and military relations outside of U.S.-Chinese competition. Meanwhile Russia views Vietnam as the most accessible strategic foothold for its reviving interests in the Asia Pacific region.