Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a state visit to Vietnam, said Moscow was set to invest billions of dollars there. He signed an agreement for a joint oil and gas venture.
Russia's leader also pledged co-operation in the fight against terrorism and stressed the need to renew friendship between the two states.The accords are in line with a declaration Putin signed in 2001 during his first visit to Vietnam, seeking to develop economic links.“Our countries share traditions of friendship and mutual support,” Putin said. “Those traditions go even deeper than those we had during the time of Vietnam’s struggle for independence.” During a meeting at the presidential palace, Putin presented archive documents on legendary Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh's time in the Soviet Union .