Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong invited the Russian leader to visit the country when the two met on the sidelines of China's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Tuesday, according to Vietnamese state media.
Putin "happily accepted the invitation," Vietnam News Agency, the state's official newswire, reported, as cited by the Reuters news agency.
Vietnam remains one of Russia's closest partners in Asia and is a major buyer of Russian weaponry, according to Reuters.
The Russian and Vietnamese leaders met on the first day of the Belt and Road Forum, a high-profile event led by China's President Xi Jinping that has attracted representatives from more than 130 countries, according to Vietnam News Agency.
The visit to Beijing was Putin's second known trip abroad since the Hague-based International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March, Reuters reported.
Earlier this month Putin visited Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, according to reports at the time.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 602 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: Reuters, PAP
