Vladimir Putin was welcomed in Vietnam with a 21-gun salute during a military ceremony on Thursday as he began his official visit to the Communist-run state.

Newly installed Vietnamese President To Lam greeted the Russian president with a military guard of honour at the presidential palace in Hanoi, congratulating him on his re-election and praising Russia’s achievements, including “domestic political stability”.

Mr Lam said: “Once again, congratulations to our comrade for receiving overwhelming support during the recent presidential election, underlining the confidence of the Russian people.”

Putin responded, saying a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam was one of Russia’s priorities.

The visit comes the day after he signed an anti-West mutual defence pact with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, a document Putin described as a “breakthrough” which will raise relations “to a new level”.

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