Vietnam party leader Trong invites Russia's Putin to visit, state media reports

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the Southeast Asian country during a telephone call on Tuesday, Vietnamese state media reported.

Vietnam remains one of Russia's closest partners in Asia, ties developed during the Soviet era, and Hanoi is a major buyer of Russian weapons.

"President Putin happily accepted the invitation and agreed for the two sides to arrange (the visit) at a suitable time," the official Vietnam News Agency reported.

Vietnamese state media reported in October that Putin had accepted an invitation from Vietnam's president for a visit, but that has not taken place. The invitation was extended months after the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin.

In Tuesday's call, Trong congratulated Putin on being re-elected as Russian president, and sent his condolences to Russian people and families of the victims of the concert attack outside Moscow last week.

The leaders also discussed ways to promote cooperation in security, defence, trade and tourism.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Ed Osmond)