Vladimir Putin continues Asian public relations blitz in Vietnam visit

Russian president is embraced by two communist leaders as he signs pacts in Hanoi

Russia's president Vladimir Putin appearing at an event with Vietnam's president To Lam. Photo: Reuters

Khanh Vu and Minh Nguyen

Russian president Vladimir Putin said he wanted to build a “reliable security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific region during a state visit to Vietnam yesterday, part of a trip to Asia seen as a show of defiance to the West.

A day after signing a mutual defence agreement with North Korea, Putin received a 21-gun salute at a military ceremony in Vietnam, was embraced by two of its communist leaders and lavishly praised by one of them.