[1] Angola and Vietnam have been steadfast partners as both transitioned from Cold War-era foreign policies of international communism to pro-Western pragmatism following the fall of the Soviet Union.

In late October, Nhân Dân, the Vietnamese Communist Party's official newspaper, effectively endorsed the MPLA, condemning the "imperialist forces and South African racists".

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Văn Đồng recognized the People's Republic of Angola on November 12, the day after President Neto declared independence.

Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Premier Alexei Kosygin led a faction favoring less support for the MPLA and greater emphasis on preserving détente with the West.

[5] Neto, distrustful of the Soviet leadership after an attempt on his life, stood with Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Havana when he called Angola, Cuba, and Vietnam the "main anti-imperialist core" in July 1976.