DHAKA: Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that his country will expand its military supplies to Vietnam, as he held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart to boost ties between the former ideological allies.

Military and energy cooperation topped the agenda during the talks between Putin and Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang.

‘We have had specific discussions on military cooperation,’ Putin, who was on a one-day visit, told reporters via a translator in a joint press briefing in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, reports The Straits Times.

‘We plan to expand the supplies of Russian military products to Vietnam.’

Russia remains the main supplier of military hardware to Vietnam, and plans are being worked out to produce some military equipment in the South-east Asian country with assistance from Russian companies.

BDST: 1822 HRS, NOV 12, 2013
RoR/SRS