Vietnam is one of the countries that could host a high-profile meeting between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Konstantin Sukhoverkhov, program manager at the Russian International Affairs Council.

Sukhoverkhov released the comment as Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a recent speech in Sochi, declared his readiness to resume a comprehensive dialogue with the United States, but stressed that such a dialogue initiative must come from Washington.

There need to be specific considerations regarding which country should be chosen as an appropriate venue for a potential meeting between the Russian and U.S. leaders, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency on Friday.

“It will definitely not be Japan, South Korea, or China. India might be a suitable candidate. However, there’s also a strong possibility the meeting could take place in Vietnam or in an African country, such as Egypt, South Africa, or Brazil,” the official said.

In an interview with Izvestia, Russian expert on U.S. affairs Igor Pshenichny said substantial preparatory work should be done at the foreign policy agency level before organizing a summit at the presidential level.  

He stressed that, when selecting a venue for a potential summit, security concerns must be prioritized, as not all friendly nations have the capacity to organize such a significant event while preventing any security risks.

Trump and Putin met in Vietnam in 2017 when they came to central Da Nang City to attend the APEC Summit hosted by the Southeast Asian country.  

As reported by international media at that time, Trump, the then U.S. President, proactively approached to shake hands and chat with his Russian counterpart Putin, and then stood next him at the official welcoming ceremony of the conference.

In 2019, Vietnam’s capital Hanoi was chosen to host the second U.S.-North Korea Summit between then U.S. President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

This meeting took place to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Hanoi being honored by UNESCO as a ‘City for Peace.’  

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