35 years ago, in 1980, aboard the Soyuz 37 space craft, Gorbatko accompanied the first Vietnamese citizen and the first non-Russian Asian to make it into space – Pham Tuan. Meeting with Gorbatko and his wife, State President Sang stressed that Vietnam highly values the support and friendship extended by the former Soviet Union to Vietnam.
The Soyuz 37 was not only a milestone in the development of Vietnamese space science and technology, it was also a symbol of the co-operation between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union, setting a stepping stone for the growing relations between Vietnam and present-day Russia, particularly in the field of astrological research. Gorbatko told the state leader that among his trips into space, Soyuz 37 was the most memorable. He hoped his trip this time would contribute to further boosting the traditional ties and friendship between the two nations.
