Vietnam’s Party leader To Lam begins official visit to Russia

The Party chief, his spouse, and the delegation were warmly welcomed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, along with officials from the Russian foreign ministry, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam G.S. Bezdetko and his spouse, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, embassy staff, and members of the Vietnamese community in Russia.

A formal welcome ceremony for the top Vietnamese leader and his entourage was held at the airport, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Deputy PM Chernyshenko escorted Party leader To Lam along the red carpet, where the honor guard commander saluted and reported to the top Vietnamese leader.

Military bands played the national anthems of both countries, followed by a ceremonial parade.

Immediately after the ceremony, Lam proceeded to the Prime Minister's Palace for a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Later that evening (Vietnam time), the Party chief was scheduled to attend a state banquet hosted by President Vladimir Putin, held in honor of foreign leaders visiting Russia for the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

This marks Lam’s first official visit to Russia as Party General Secretary of Vietnam.

The timing holds particular significance, as he is also expected to attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow.

Ahead of the visit, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told Russian media that the trip aims to honor the immense sacrifices and contributions of the former Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation in defeating fascism and preserving global peace.

Vietnam also hopes to further strengthen political trust between the two countries, chart strategic directions for their comprehensive strategic partnership, and deepen ties between the Vietnamese Party and major Russian political parties.

During the visit lasting until Sunday, Lam and his delegation are expected to hold high-level meetings with Russian leaders.

These engagements are meant to generate new momentum for bilateral cooperation across traditional and emerging fields such as trade, investment, energy, science, high technology, and artificial intelligence.

The visit is also seen as a step toward advancing long-term development goals in Vietnam-Russia relations and reinforcing shared commitments to peace, cooperation, and global stability.