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Russia-Vietnam relations date back formally to 30 January 1950, when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established an embassy to North Vietnam.[1] The USSR was traditionally one of Vietnam's strongest allies; after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, friendly relations were established between Vietnam and Russia, the USSR's main successor state. Nearly 5% of the official count of the Vietnamese population in Russia is composed of students with Russian government scholarships.[2] In January 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Soviet-Vietnam ties, Russian president Vladimir Putin made an official visit to Hanoi, where he was received by Vietnamese president Trần Đức Lương.[1] Bilateral trade amounted to $550 million in 2001; Russian exports to Vietnam included machinery and steel, while Vietnam sold textiles and rice. The two countries also maintained relations in the energy sector, with joint venture Vietsovpetro pumping crude oil from the Bach Ho field.[3]
In contrast to diplomatic and trade relations, military cooperation between Russia and Vietnam has fallen off since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[3] The Soviet Navy maintained a presence in Vietnam at an American-built base in Cam Ranh Bay which had been turned over to the Republic of Vietnam Navy and captured by North Vietnamese forces in 1975; by 1987, they had expanded the base to four times its original size and often made mock attacks in the direction of the Philippines, according to intelligence of the United States Pacific Fleet. Analysts suggested that the Vietnamese side also saw the Soviet presence there as a counterweight against any potential Chinese threat. The Soviet Union and Vietnam officially denied any presence there.[4] However, as early as 1988, then-Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze had discussed the possibility of a withdrawal from Cam Ranh Bay, and concrete troop reductions were realised by 1990.[5][6] Russia began to withdraw its small remaining forces in 2002.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Vietnam-Russia traditional ties reach new heights", Embassy of Vietnam in the United States of America, 2001-03-05. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ "Russian FM stresses traditional relations with Vietnam", Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam, 2006-01-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ a b Blagov, Sergei. "Russia committed to Vietnamese oil", Asia Times, 2002-07-12. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
- ^ Trainor, Bernard E.. "Russians in Vietnam: U.S. sees a threat", The New York Times, 1987-03-01. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
- ^ Mydans, Seth. "Soviets Hint at Leaving Cam Ranh Bay", The New York Times, 1988-12-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
- ^ Weisman, Steven R.. "Japanese-U.S. Relations Undergoing a Redesign", The New York Times, 1990-06-04. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
- ^ Arthurs, Clare. "Russia to stress Vietnam ties", 2002-03-26. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
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