Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea early Wednesday morning, left Pyongyang after 21 hours, and began his state visit to Vietnam.
According to foreign news agencies such as Reuters and TASS, on the 20th, Putin arrived in Vietnam early Wednesday after concluding his state visit to North Korea and began his state visit schedule in Vietnam.
Putin left Pyongyang around midnight on the 20th, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un saw him off until just before he boarded his private plane. The exact time was not disclosed, but TASS reported that Putin met with Kim at Pyongyang airport around 3 a.m. on the 19th and was seen off about 21 hours later.
Also, TASS reported that 1,000 people waved flowers and flags at Putin’s motorcade as it headed from downtown Pyongyang to the airport when he left. RIA Novosti reported that the farewell crowd stretched over approximately 12.43 miles.
Putin’s private plane took off to the farewell of a military band and honor guard, and the people who came to see him off enthusiastically waved at the departing plane.
During his visit to North Korea, Putin is believed to have talked with Kim for over 10 hours. TASS reported that the two leaders had more than 10 hours of conversation, and the Russian daily Kommersant said the two sides talked for over 11 hours.
Then Putin arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi around 1:50 a.m. His visit to Vietnam may have been shortened from a two-day schedule to a day trip due to his late arrival in North Korea on the morning of the 19th, which also resulted in his arrival in Vietnam on the 20th.
Putin is first scheduled to attend a welcoming ceremony hosted by Public Security Minister To Lam at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. After that, he will meet with all the top four power holders in Vietnam, including Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who invited him, as well as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the National Assembly, Tran Thanh Man.
He plans to discuss issues related to developing bilateral relations in trade, economy, science, technology, and humanitarian fields with Vietnamese leaders and exchange views on international and regional issues. They plan to adopt a joint statement confirming the principles of a comprehensive strategic partnership and sign several bilateral documents.
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