Putin and Vietnam's To Lam Sign 17 Agreements Including Nuclear Plant and Oil Reserve Deals

Vietnamese President To Lam signed 17 bilateral agreements with Putin at the Kremlin during a state visit, his second trip to Moscow in about 16 months. The most consequential was formal advancement of Rosatom's plan to build Vietnam's first nuclear power station — two VVER-1200 reactors (2,400 MW combined) in Ninh Thuan province, with the first unit targeted for completion before end of 2031. Vietnam's state energy firm Petrovietnam also signed a framework deal with Russia's Zarubezhneft to establish a strategic oil reserve in Vietnam, and the two sides launched a joint infectious disease research lab. Putin said Russia was working to introduce visa-free entry for Vietnamese citizens. The pacts spanned justice, finance, investment, transport, energy, nuclear safety, science and education.