TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION USSR–VIETNAM

The signature of a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Soviet Union and Vietnam achieved to split the Indochinese peninsula into two camps. While China backed the Khmer Rouges in Cambodia, Vietnam, who failed to normalize its diplomatic relationships with the United States, leaned towards Moscow. The fault line between the Communist leaders extended all the way to the borders between Vietnam and its neighbours, China and Cambodia. Any local strife could trigger a much larger armed conflict. 

ARTICLE 1. In accordance with the principles of socialist in­ternationalism the High Contracting Parties will go on strengthening relations of un­breakable friendship, solidarity and fraternal mutual aid. They will steadfastly develop political relations and deepen all-round cooperation, will give each other all-out support based on reciprocal respect for state sovereignty and independence, equality and noninterference in each other’s internal affairs.

ARTICLE 2. The High Contracting Parties will join efforts for strengthening and expanding reciprocally advantageous economic, scientific and technical cooperation with the purpose of accelerating socialist and com­munist construction, of steadily raising the material, cultural and living standards of the peoples of their countries.

The Sides will continue long-term coordination of their national­ economic plans, will correlate forward-looking measures towards developing crucial branches of the economy, science and engineering, will exchange knowledge and experience accumulated in socialist and communist con­struction.

ARTICLE 3. The High Contracting Parties will facilitate cooperation between organs of state power and public organizations, will promote broad ties in the spheres of science and culture, education, literature and the arts, the press, radio and television, public health, en­vironmental protection, tourism, physical culture and sports, and in other fields. They will stimulate the development of contacts between working people of the two countries.

ARTICLE 4. The High Contracting Parties will pursue an all-out and consistent struggle for the further strengthening of fraternal relations, of unity and solidarity among socialist countries on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and socialist internationalism.

They will bend every effort towards the consolidation of the world socialist system, will make a vigorous contribution to the development and protection of socialist gains.

ARTICLE 5. The High Contracting Parties will go on bending every effort for protecting international peace and the security of the peoples, will vigorously counteract all the designs and machinations of imperialism and reactionary forces, will support the just struggle for the final eradication of colonialism and racism in all its forms and manifestations, will support the struggle of the nonaligned countries, the struggle of the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America against imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism, for strengthening independence, in defence of sovereignty, for the right to freely dispose of their natural resources, for the establishment of new international economic relations free from inequality, diktat and exploitation, will support the striving of the peoples of Southeast Asia for peace, independence and cooperation among them.

They will unwaveringly come out for the development of relations between countries with different social systems on the basis of the principles of peaceful coexistence, for expanding and deepening the detente process in international relations, for the final exclusion of aggression and annexionist wars from the life of the peoples, in the name of peace, national independence, democracy and socialism.

ARTICLE 6. The High Contracting Parties will consult each other on all important international issues affecting the interests of the two countries. In case one of the parties becomes the object of attack or of threats of attack, the High Contracting Parties will immediately begin mutual consultations for the purpose of removing that threat and taking appropriate effective measures to ensure the peace and security of their countries.

ARTICLE 7.  The present Treaty does not affect the rights and obligations of the Parties under bilateral and multilateral agreements now in force, concluded with their participation, nor is it directed against any third country.

ARTICLE 8.  The present Treaty is subject to ratification and will come into force on the date of exchange of the instruments of ratification which shall take place in the city of Hanoi at the earliest date.

ARTICLE 9.  The present Treaty is concluded for the period of 25 years and will be automatically prolonged every time for another 10-year period, unless either of the High Contracting Parties gives notice of its wish to terminate it twelve months before the expiration of the respective period.

Signed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on November 4, 1978 in Moscow. 

Source : Executive Intelligence Review, 5(48) December 12, 1978, p. 32–33.