Роль Вьетнама в российском «повороте на Восток»

Азия и Африка сегодня. 2018. № 9. С. 10–17.

Н. Федоров

The article analyzes the role of Vietnam in Russian policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The formation of “Pivot to the East” policy is influenced by not only rising significance of Asia-Pacific states in world policy and economy, but also the need of development of the Russian Far East and the nature of relations of Russia with the West. Russia and Vietnam are connected by long history of friendship and cooperation. After 1991 the cooperation between Moscow and Hanoi decreased, but the Russian Federation and Vietnam kept political contacts on high level and continued the interaction in different spheres (including the energy and military cooperation). However, now the significance of Vietnam in the economic cooperation of Russia and the Asia-Pacific states is lower than the role of China, Japan and South Korea (especially in the framework of interaction with the Russian Far East), but at the same time Vietnam is a key partner for Russia in Southeast Asia and Russian-Vietnamese cooperation has substantial potential for the further development. In 2015 Vietnam signed the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and so it plays important role for Eurasian integration. However Russian-Vietnamese cooperation induces the indirect involvement of Russia in the South China Sea conflict. Also the character of Russian-Vietnamese relations has changed in the comparison with the period of the Cold War and Vietnam can't be considered as a counterweight to the U.S. in Russian foreign policy. The crisis in relations between Russia and the West and Russian alignment with China might cause some challenges for Russian-Vietnamese partnership.

Keywords: Вьетнам, Азиатско-Тихоокеанский регион, Asia-Pacific region, российско-вьетнамские отношения, Vietnam, Russian-Vietnamese relations