HANOI, June 19. /TASS/. Russia is thankful to Vietnam for its balanced position on the Ukraine crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an article for the Nhan Dan newspaper, published in the run-up to his visit to Vietnam.

"We are grateful to our Vietnamese friends for their balanced position on the Ukraine crisis and their desire to facilitate the search for practical ways to settle it peacefully," the president said.

"All of this is fully in line with the spirit and nature of our relations," he added.

During his upcoming fifth visit to Vietnam, Putin, who is leading a high-ranking Russian delegation, will hold talks and meetings with top Vietnamese officials, during which the two sides will touch upon the developments in each of the two countries as well as in other regions of the world, particularly focusing on the issues of mutual interest, including peace, cooperation and development.