Vietnam-Russia Summit 2026: What Le Minh Hung and Putin Agreed on Trade, Nuclear Energy, and Market Access

On June 18, 2026, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Kazan on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit . The meeting produced a series of concrete agreements spanning trade, market access, energy cooperation, and future engagements. Here is what was decided.

Bilateral Trade: A $15 Billion Target

The two leaders agreed to work toward raising bilateral trade turnover to US$15 billion in the near future . This marks a significant ambition: Putin noted that bilateral trade had already grown by nearly 6% the previous year, surpassing US$6 billion, with positive momentum continuing into 2026 . The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was cited as playing a key role in sustaining this growth .

Market Access for Vietnamese Exports

PM Hung pushed for concrete improvements in Russian market access for Vietnamese goods. He specifically :

• Called on Russia to create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese products, especially agricultural goods, to enter the Russian market.
• Requested the removal of restrictions on several Vietnamese seafood processing facilities and an expansion of the list of enterprises eligible to export seafood to Russia and other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states.
• Proposed negotiations to amend the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the EAEU, including the removal of safeguard measures applied to Vietnamese textile, garment, and footwear exports.

Energy Cooperation: Nuclear, Oil & Gas, and Renewables

Energy was a central pillar of the discussions. The leaders specifically :

• Agreed to accelerate negotiations for the early implementation of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project, reaffirming energy, oil and gas, and nuclear cooperation as key pillars of the bilateral relationship.
• During separate meetings with Rosatom (led by Alexey Likhachev) and Zarubezhneft (led by Sergey Kudryashov), PM Hung pushed for expanding peaceful nuclear energy development. This included extending operations at the Da Lat nuclear reactor and building a new nuclear science and technology center in Dong Nai .
• Both sides discussed expanding oil and gas exploration on Vietnam's continental shelf and in Russian territory .
• Zarubezhneft proposed expanding into offshore wind and renewable energy projects. The two sides also discussed joint initiatives in third countries .

Defense, Security, and Broader Cooperation

Both sides reaffirmed that defense and security cooperation remains a strategic pillar. They agreed to strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity and military exchanges . Beyond security, the leaders agreed to deepen ties in mining, transport, shipbuilding, railway modernization, and the expansion of transport corridors, including international intermodal railway routes through China .

Future Engagements and People-to-People Ties

The meeting also produced several agreements on cultural and educational exchanges :

• Both sides agreed to enhance regular and substantive exchanges at all levels and maintain high-level contacts.
• Putin supported expanding Russian-language training in Vietnam and reaffirmed continued assistance for Vietnamese students in Russia .
• They agreed to expedite the establishment of a Vietnamese Cultural Center in Russia and to consider building a Russian school in Hanoi.
• A Russian Cultural Season in Vietnam is planned for 2027 .
• PM Hung invited President Putin to attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, in 2027 .

Broader Context: The ASEAN-Russia Summit

The bilateral meeting took place against the backdrop of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia dialogue relations . At the summit, PM Hung proposed three key directions for ASEAN-Russia cooperation: strengthening strategic partnership through regular summits, making economic cooperation more substantive by addressing logistics and market access bottlenecks, and enhancing resilience by making energy a major pillar of cooperation .

Vietnam's role as a bridge between ASEAN and Russia was highlighted by Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, who described the PM's participation as yielding "highly positive and comprehensive" results that laid a strategic foundation for the next phase of the partnership .