Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung highlighted the significance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm’s recent five-day visit to the United States and Canada, emphasizing its role in elevating Vietnam’s international standing and fostering deeper bilateral cooperation. The visit, conducted from September 20 to 25, marked Tô Lâm’s first official trips to the US and Canada since Vietnam’s latest political transition.
During his visit, Tô Lâm attended the high-level General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session, where he outlined Vietnam’s developmental priorities and foreign policy strategies. His UN address underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation and advocated for an expanded role of the UN in tackling global issues.
In addition to his UN engagements, Tô Lâm conducted meetings with senior officials, lawmakers, business leaders, academics, and Vietnamese communities in both countries. Discussions with US officials focused on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in areas of trade and investment.
While in Canada, Vietnam and Canadian authorities agreed to advance their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, supported by an action plan targeting various sectors of collaboration. Concurrently, Vietnamese officials and business representatives engaged in separate discussions with partners in both the US and Canada, resulting in agreements across domains such as trade, technology, education, energy, and transportation.
Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung emphasized the need for Vietnam to concentrate on implementing the commitments achieved during the trip. He highlighted potential areas for enhanced cooperation, including science and technology, trade, investment, defense and security, energy, and education, with a specific mention of nuclear energy as a promising field for future collaboration.