Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Sean says that his country is not opposed to the Russian Navy returning to the base in Cam Ranh Bay, on the condition that its presence is not directed against any third country. Will Russia take the opportunity to regain a foothold in Southeast Asia? Svobodnaya Pressa journalist Anton Mardasov explores.
Speaking to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti earlier this week, Nguyen Thanh Sean explained that "Vietnam's policy is not to enter military alliances or to ally with any one state against another."
That being said, the ambassador added that "in this context, the use of the Cam Ranh Bay port for multilateral international cooperation for the provision of maritime transport, ship repair and the development of defense technology to ensure peace and stability in the region is an appropriate direction to take."
During the interview, Nguyen Thanh Sean also said that Hanoi plans to continue defense cooperation with Russia, and added that Vietnam has always considered Russia to be "a close country, and a traditional partner," and that a "relationship of trust with Russia is a priority of Vietnamese foreign policy."
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