By Minh Nguyen and Thinh Nguyen

HANOI (Reuters) – Nguyen Thi Hong Van’s Russian memento store could also be a little bit of an oddity within the Vietnamese capital however her items promote very effectively, she says, reflecting the keenness previous Hanoians have for an anticipated go to by President Vladimir Putin.

“Vietnamese people love Russian products very much,” she informed Reuters, surrounded by Matryoshka dolls and caps that includes embroidered CCCP, the Cyrillic abbreviation for the Soviet Union (USSR).

Putin is predicted to go to Communist-ruled Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, a number of officers stated, simply over a month after he was sworn in for his fifth presidential time period.

“I was very happy when I learned that Mr. Putin is coming to Vietnam because he is very talented, truly a world leader. I admire him very much,” stated Tran Xuan Cuong, a 57-year-old Hanoi resident, talking in entrance of a statue of Lenin within the centre of the Vietnamese capital.

Russia and Vietnam have shared for many years the identical Communist ideology and keep very shut relations, with Moscow being the highest provider of weapons to Hanoi. Russian companies additionally extract oil and gasoline in Vietnamese fields within the South China Sea which can be claimed by China.

Tens of 1000’s of Vietnamese cadres went to review within the former Soviet Union in the course of the Chilly Struggle, together with prime enterprise leaders and the present head of the Communist Celebration Nguyen Phu Trong, a Marxist-Leninist ideologist.

The Vietnamese capital is dotted with Soviet-style buildings, together with the museum of recent Vietnam’s founding father Ho Chi Minh, and an imposing Vietnam-Soviet friendship palace, constructed within the late 70s on the location the place a bombed French exposition corridor stood.

“The Russian spirit is a wonderful thing. It can be gentle and has a lot of affection and love for peace,” stated Tran Xuan Viet, 83.

“I will always have respect and compassion for Putin. In fact, there are many things about him that I often (..) apply in my daily life,” he added.

In distinction to previous Hanoians, youthful folks declined to reply questions on Putin.