HANOI, November 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on an official visit Tuesday expected to focus on trade and economic cooperation.
Putin went ahead with the trip despite concerns over safety as the region continues to struggle coping with the devastating fallout of Typhoon Haiyan.
Putin was to meet with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, we well as participate in the opening ceremony of the Russian cultural days in Vietnam.
Presidential aide Yury Ushakov said a package of documents will be signed during the visit.
Trade between Vietnam and Russia is projected to nearly double to $7 billion in 2015, from $3.66 billion last year. That figure is expected to reach up to $10 billion by 2020.
The main exports from Russia to Vietnam include machinery, fertilizers, metals products. Russia imports clothing, agricultural products and electronic appliances.
Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom is also looking at supplying liquefied natural gas to Vietnam from facilities under construction in Siberia and the Far East. The aim is for Russian natural gas to be used as fuel in Vietnamese public transportation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said weather forecasts gave no grounds for cancelling the Vietnam visit.
Putin arrived in Vietnam after meeting with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev at a forum on interregional cooperation in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. Putin is set to continue his Asian tour with a visit to South Korea on Wednesday.