Diplomacy Russian foreign minister stops in Vietnam ahead of G-20

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son shake hands during their meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, yesterday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Vietnam yesterday as part of an effort to bolster ties with a country that has not openly condemned its invasion of Ukraine or imposed sanctions against it.

Lavrov, on his way to the Indonesian island of Bali for a meeting of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations, sought to strengthen ties with Vietnam, which also has a strong relationship with the United States.

“I expressed my appreciation for the very balanced objective position of Vietnam which is demonstrated by the refusal of this country to join the illegal sanctions,” he said at a news conference after meeting his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said the West should realize its responsibility for the deaths of civilians in the regions where Ukraine is using Western weapons.

Lavrov is currently on a trip to Asia to seek support amid his country’s diplomatic isolation by the West and punishing sanctions leveled over its invasion of Ukraine. He visited Mongolia a day before arriving in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. Mongolia also retains ties with Moscow but has burgeoning relations with Washington. HAU DINH, HANOI, MDT/AP