Moscow is ready to continue providing modern weapons to Hanoi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Vietnam’s national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV), China’s CCTV and Phoenix TV, TASS reports.
"Defense cooperation has always been playing an important role in our relations. We are ready to continue fulfilling Vietnam’s need for modern weapons to help ensure the country’s security and protect its sovereignty," Lavrov said, adding that Russia and Vietnam had also been effectively cooperating in the cyber security field.
The Russian top diplomat pointed out that trade between the two countries had grown by more than 16% in 2018, exceeding $6 bln, as a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) had entered into force.
Lavrov described relations between Moscow and Hanoi as strategic partnership. "We are very pleased with our relationship, we appreciate it and we can see that our Vietnamese friends feel the same," he said.
