Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia on Wednesday, urged all nations to work to defend international law since “the world is moving in a complicated manner.”

At a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi, Lavrov was using a translator.

His comments come as Russia has been accused by Western countries of breaching international law through its invasion of Ukraine. European Union leaders have urged Moscow to abide by an order by the international court of justice telling Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.

“Vietnam is a key partner (of Russia) in ASEAN…and the two countries’ relations are based on history and their common fight for justice,” Lavrov said at the meeting, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Vietnam and Russia have close ties dating back to the Soviet era and Hanoi has not so far condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special operation”.

Lavrov’s visit to Hanoi comes as the two nations mark the 10th anniversary of their “comprehensive strategic partnership”.

The Russian foreign minister is due to fly on to Indonesia to attend a meeting of G20 foreign ministers this week.