Seoul, Jun 19 (AP) Russian President Vladmir Putin arrived in Vietnam on Thursday, Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported, for a state visit to strengthen ties with a longtime partner at a time when Moscow is facing growing international isolation because of its war in Ukraine.

Putin landed in the Southeast Asian country after concluding his first trip to North Korea in 24 years. There, he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement that pledges mutual aid if either country faces “aggression,” a strategic pact that comes as both face escalating standoffs with the West.

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Details of the deal were not immediately clear, but it could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War.

In Hanoi, the Russian leader is scheduled to meet Vietnam's most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the new President To Lam and other politicians. The trip has resulted in a sharp rebuke from the United States Embassy in Hanoi. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)