Full Breakdown
Vietnam’s Dual-Track Diplomacy: Lam’s Moscow Visit and Its Wider Implications
9/10/2026, 6:51:35 AM
Kremlin Meeting Signals Deepening Russia-Vietnam Ties
On September 9, Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary To Lam met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. The two leaders signed a series of accords covering energy, defence and high-technology cooperation. The day before, Lam held talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on September 8, while defence officials from both sides discussed expanded collaboration.
Strategic Context: South China Sea and Economic Goals
Analysts note that Lam’s itinerary is designed to reinforce Hanoi’s “bamboo diplomacy” amid rising tensions with China over the South China Sea, where Vietnam has lodged protests against new Chinese infrastructure at Antelope Reef and Yagong Island. The visits also support Vietnam’s ambition to shift from low-cost manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy, targeting 10 percent annual growth and high-income status by 2045.
Official Statements & Verbatim Quotes
Putin praised the partnership, stating, “We’re very pleased to see you.” He highlighted that bilateral trade grew by almost 6 percent in 2025 and that the growth rate has “practically doubled” in the first half of this year. State-owned Zarubezhneft secured a production-sharing agreement on offshore blocks, and Novatek PJSC CEO Leonid Mikhelson indicated that LNG exports to Vietnam could start next year.
Data & Trade Figures
- Bilateral trade: just under US$5 billion, described as modest by political scientist Nguyen Khac Giang.
- Trade growth: ? 6 percent in 2025; first-half-year growth rate nearly doubled.
- Energy projects: agreement to build the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant and ongoing hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea.
Upcoming Diplomatic Agenda
After Moscow, Lam will travel to Paris to meet President Emmanuel Macron and attend an International Space Summit. He is slated to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, followed by visits to the United States, Canada and Brussels. These trips underscore Hanoi’s effort to balance relations with major powers while pursuing its economic and security objectives.
