Buenos Aires (VNA) – Argentina’s press on June 20 gave extensive coverage of the Vietnam visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 19-20, holding that the trip will contribute to reinforcing the comprehensive strategic partnership and traditional friendship between the two countries.

Resumen Latinoamericano, a reputable left-wing newspaper in Latin America and Spain, said at the meeting with President To Lam, the Russian leader affirmed that strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership is a priority in Russia's foreign policy.

The journal said Putin highly evaluates joint efforts in maintaining regular political exchanges among parliamentary agencies and ministries of the two countries, as well as Vietnam's role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Russian leader showed pleasure at the steady growth in the bilateral trade that grew by 8% last year, and the fact that the two countries are gradually switching to using local currencies in two-way transactions.

Resumen Latinoamericano quoted Putin as saying that Russia gives great attention to cooperation with Vietnam in culture and tourism, which will help strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples.

On international issues, Putin highly valued Vietnam’s balanced and objective stance on the Ukraine issue, and the settlement of disputes and disagreements by peaceful measures. Vietnam and Russia have similar views on important international issues, especially those in the Asia-Pacific, it said.

The same day, Argentina’s Reporte Asia news website reported that during Putin’s visit, Vietnam and Russia signed 11 cooperation documents, including those in nuclear technology and oil and gas exploitation.

At the talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong, President Putin affirmed his determination to further deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership. Meanwhile, at the talks with the Russian leader, President To Lam pledged that Vietnam always considers Russia one of the leading prioritised partners in the country’s external policy and thanked the former Soviet Union and Russia now for supporting Vietnamese people, it noted.

Reporte Asia quoted Le Hoai Trung, head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, as underscoring that the Russian President’s visit to Vietnam demonstrates the Southeast Asian nation's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, diversification and multilateralisation.

♊ Other major newspapers of Argentina such as Infobae and La Nacion also ran many stories and photos on the talks between President Putin and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President To Lam as well as the Russian leader’s meetings with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man./.