General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation have successfully concluded their working trip to attend the High-Level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, conduct bilateral activities in the US, and pay a State visit to Canada at the invitation of Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour, from September 20 to 25.

The working trip was a clear demonstration of the determination to implement resolutely and effectively the foreign policy set out by the 14th National Party Congress, Politburo Resolution 06 on implementing the foreign policy of the 14th National Party Congress, and Politburo Resolution 59 on international integration in the new context. The trip helped strengthen Viet Nam’s good relations with the UN, the US and Canada, while also conveying a message that Viet Nam is undergoing profound transformation and is confidently entering a new era of development.

An active, proactive and responsible member of the international community

On September 22, at the UN Headquarters in New York, the High-Level General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all”, officially opened. The event drew the participation of more than 120 heads of state, heads of government, and leaders and representatives of UN member states. General Secretary and President To Lam led the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the event.

General Secretary and President To Lam delivered an important address at the High-Level General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Assessing the world situation, the Vietnamese leader said the world is undergoing profound shifts in the international order, accompanied by numerous risks and uncertainties; the global economy is becoming increasingly fragmented, with growing barriers to trade, investment and technology.

Disruptions to supply chains and economic instability are narrowing development opportunities for many countries. Climate change, natural disasters, pandemics and new risks arising from technology continue to pose direct threats to people’s lives and livelihoods, as well as the development and stability of many countries

For Viet Nam, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised that Viet Nam is increasingly taking a proactive role in contributing to the UN common affairs, bringing Viet Nam-UN relations to greater depth and substance. Viet Nam will remain steadfast in upholding the UN Charter and international law, promoting dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and participating more extensively in peacekeeping operations. Viet Nam is joining hands to build a united, resilient and strong ASEAN, while actively preparing to host the APEC Summit in 2027, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Viet Nam chooses peace, cooperation and development, and remains committed to working with other countries to strengthen the UN, uphold international law and translate common commitments into tangible benefits for the people. Viet Nam believes that with a strong UN, we can work together to build a more peaceful, fair, inclusive and better world for all. On this journey, Viet Nam will continue to be an active member, a reliable partner and a responsible country, ready to contribute to the common efforts of the international community.

At the UN Headquarters in New York, General Secretary and President To Lam witnessed a ceremony for the handover of important cooperation documents and agreements between Viet Nam and UN agencies. The cooperation documents and agreements reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to accompanying Viet Nam in its development and opened a new phase of broader, more effective and comprehensive cooperation.

General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that the signing and handover of the Country Programme Documents for 2027-2031 open a new chapter in the partnership between Viet Nam and the UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA. These are not only frameworks guiding programmes and activities over the next five years, but also strong commitments to translating strategic goals into concrete actions and results that bring practical benefits to the people.

Viet Nam will continue to be an active, proactive and responsible member of the international community. Viet Nam will continue to provide office premises free of charge for UN organisations in Viet Nam, while welcoming these agencies to establish country or regional representative offices or host major global events in Viet Nam. In addition, Viet Nam stands ready to share its development experience with other countries through cooperation mechanisms, working together towards a peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and people-centred world.

General Secretary and President To Lam met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Viet Nam has become an important pillar of multilateralism.

Highlighting Viet Nam’s achievements and development orientations, General Secretary and President To Lam stressed that Viet Nam’s development direction in the new period is centred on sustainable development, with quality of life, safety and happiness of the people serving as core measures of progress.

Reaffirming Viet Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, the General Secretary and President said Viet Nam has made a major transition from an aid recipient to an active and responsible contributor to strengthening the central role of the UN, and affirmed its support for the UN80 Initiative, aimed at improving the organisation’s operational effectiveness.

As a demonstration of this commitment, the Vietnamese leader stressed that Viet Nam will continue to deepen its participation in UN peacekeeping operations, provide office premises free of charge for UN agencies in Ha Noi for the next 10 years, with an estimated value of 3 million USD, contribute nearly 1.3 million USD to the international peacekeeping budget, and stand ready to host major conferences. Viet Nam will actively contribute to UN initiatives promoting global governance of science and technology and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the green transition and digital transformation.

Viet Nam proposes that the United Nations continue to accompany Viet Nam in digital transformation, capacity building, experience sharing, and connecting with international networks of experts on technology and finance, while responding to climate change and promoting the green transition, particularly by mobilising resources and strengthening the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework.

Looking towards the future, the two sides agreed to effectively implement the Strategic Cooperation Framework for the 2027-2031 period, together with national programme documents with specialised agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, with a view to reforming the global governance and international financial systems towards greater fairness and transparency.

At his meeting with Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Viet Nam is ready to closely coordinate and make active contributions to the priorities and initiatives of the President of the UN General Assembly in order to realise the set goals. Viet Nam has participated in the co-coordination of document negotiation processes at the General Assembly and seconded officials to work at the Office; it is ready to send officials to work at the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly. Viet Nam is also ready to participate in co-coordinating document negotiation processes, initially the process of developing documents for the fourth United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC4), which will be co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and Chile in 2028.

General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that the UN General Assembly promote discussions on solutions for middle-income countries, particularly regarding access to finance, technology, and knowledge for sustainable development; support the green transition, digital transformation, and transformation of development models; promote the establishment of a cooperation framework for global AI governance, ensuring inclusiveness, transparency, and broad participation by countries, fully reflecting the concerns and interests of developing countries, promoting equitable access to technology, and narrowing the digital divide; and promote new initiatives in response to climate change.

As part of his working trip to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and conduct bilateral activities in the United States, General Secretary and President To Lam held meetings with the President of Fiji, the Prime Minister of Thailand, the Prime Minister of Australia, the President of Türkiye, the President of Timor-Leste, the President of Switzerland, the President of Finland, the President of Ghana, the Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Prime Minister of the Holy See, the President of Mongolia, and others. He also met with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and US businesses, and listened to a briefing on the Vietnam War-era Missing Persons Initiative (VWAI).

Taking Viet Nam-US relations forward in a strong, stable, and long-term manner

As part of his attendance at the High-Level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and bilateral activities in the United States, on September 21 (local time), General Secretary and President To Lam held a meeting with the leadership of the Communist Party USA and US friends.

The Communist Party of Viet Nam attaches importance to its traditional friendship with the Communist Party USA; the two sides wish to continue strengthening exchanges, sharing experience, and contributing to consolidating friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

General Secretary and President To Lam shared information about the situation in Viet Nam, affirming that Viet Nam remains steadfast in pursuing an independent, self-reliant, self-strengthening, peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and development-oriented foreign policy; proactively and actively integrating into the international community and making responsible contributions to addressing common issues facing the international community.

Viet Nam attaches importance to its relations with the United States and wishes to see the Viet Nam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continue to develop in a strong, stable, and long-term manner, in line with the interests and aspirations of the peoples of the two countries; he expressed his hope that the Communist Party USA and US friends would continue to support the development of bilateral relations, while supporting the Vietnamese community in the United States in integrating, developing, and promoting its role as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

On the occasion, the General Secretary and President cordially invited the leadership of the Communist Party USA to visit Viet Nam at a suitable time to continue exchanging views on measures to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two parties.

Representatives of the leadership of the Communist Party USA expressed their impression of Viet Nam's development achievements; affirmed their friendship and solidarity with the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam; and expressed their wish to continue promoting exchanges and cooperation between the Communist Party USA and the Communist Party of Viet Nam, as well as strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

General Secretary and President To Lam delivers a policy address at the Foreign Policy Association of the United States (FPA).

On the occasion, FPA Chairman of the Board Henry Fernandez presented the FPA Medal to General Secretary and President To Lam. This is the association's highest honour, awarded to individuals who demonstrate a spirit of responsible internationalism and make contributions to broadening public understanding of international issues.

The FPA is one of the United States' leading reputable foreign policy forums. For more than a century, the FPA has contributed to bringing foreign policy closer to the public and creating a respected space for dialogue on major issues facing the United States and the world.

In his policy address, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his sincere thanks to the association for presenting him with the FPA Medal, honouring the spirit of responsible internationalism. This also represents recognition of the contributions made by the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam towards peace, cooperation, and development in the world, as well as to Viet Nam-US friendship.

The General Secretary and President shared Viet Nam's perspective on three issues: Responsibility in the face of changes taking place in the world; What has brought Viet Nam and the United States from the past to their relationship today; and Shared responsibility for taking bilateral relations further in the time ahead.

At a reception for Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative (USTR), the General Secretary and President affirmed that economic, trade, and investment cooperation is one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations, directly benefiting businesses and people and contributing to the development of each country.

Recently, Viet Nam has made efforts to substantively expand cooperation and purchase US goods to foster a more balanced trade relationship, while creating more orders, jobs, and direct benefits for businesses and workers of both countries.

Ambassador Jamieson Greer highly valued the focus of General Secretary and President To Lam and Viet Nam’s efforts to balance trade between the two countries. He also said that the two negotiating teams had worked diligently, making significant progress and nearing a final outcome.

General Secretary and President To Lam welcomed the very positive results achieved by the two sides towards the early signing of the agreement, creating a stable and long-term framework for economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries. He suggested that the US adopt a comprehensive approach to remaining trade issues, including matters related to investigations under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.

The General Secretary and President expressed his wish that the two countries continue strengthening efforts to substantively develop bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations, bringing benefits to the people of both countries.

Receiving a group of US Representatives led by Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised the role of the two countries’ legislatures in consolidating the political foundation, enhancing mutual understanding, and building trust.

He suggested that Congressman Gregory Meeks and the US Congress continue supporting bilateral relations, strengthening delegation exchanges and promoting exchanges between specialised committees, friendship parliamentary groups, and congressional staff.

Discussing economic and trade cooperation, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised that this is an important pillar and driver of bilateral relations. He proposed that the two sides promote free, fair, balanced, and sustainable trade and soon complete negotiations on the Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade Agreement. Viet Nam also wishes to strengthen cooperation with the US in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and high-tech industries.

General Secretary and President To Lam received Acting Secretary of the US Navy Hung Cao. The General Secretary and President highly valued Hung Cao’s contributions to Viet Nam–US relations, as well as his affection and attachment to his Vietnamese homeland.

Affirming that the Party and State always regard the overseas Vietnamese community as an inseparable part of, and an important resource for, the nation and a bridge of friendship between Viet Nam and other countries, he expressed his hope that Hung Cao would continue making positive contributions to Viet Nam–US relations and to strengthening the bonds between the Vietnamese community in the US and the homeland.

Sharing his warm sentiments towards his Vietnamese homeland, Acting Secretary Hung Cao expressed his delight at Viet Nam’s rapid development recently and his strong expectations for the country’s major breakthroughs in the future.

Praising the historic decisions and actions of General Secretary and President To Lam and Vietnamese leaders, Hung Cao affirmed that he would continue supporting and contributing to efforts to help the Vietnamese community in the US stay connected with and contribute to the peace, self-reliance, and development of the country, as well as to Viet Nam–US relations.

Within the framework of his working trip to the US, General Secretary and President To Lam received Professor Sarah Anne Soule, Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in the US.

Viet Nam identifies science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and high-quality human resources development as key drivers of growth. In that process, Viet Nam needs not only more resources, but more importantly, the capacity to create, absorb, and transform knowledge, technology, and innovation into productivity and competitiveness.

The General Secretary and President expressed his belief that connecting Viet Nam’s strengths as a dynamic economy, which holds strong development aspirations and numerous opportunities for innovation, with Stanford’s knowledge, talent, and global network would help form an effective model of cooperation between knowledge and practice, between universities and businesses, and between technology and people, thereby creating new value and bringing practical benefits to both sides as well as the region.

In this spirit, General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that the two sides focus on promoting cooperation in three priority areas. First, developing leadership capacity for managers, business leaders, and other relevant groups linked to modern governance practices and international connectivity. Second, enhancing innovation capacity and mastering AI, with Stanford sharing its experience and knowledge of AI and the digital economy, while connecting Viet Nam’s innovation ecosystem with Stanford’s global network of experts, founders, and investors. Third, promoting research and innovation cooperation programmes, positioning Viet Nam as a partner in co-innovation and the creation of new value.

In the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and Professor Sarah Anne Soule exchanged a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam and Stanford Graduate School of Business.

General Secretary and President To Lam received Thomas R. Hardy, Acting Director of the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Appreciating USTDA’s long-standing cooperation with Viet Nam in the fields of energy, power grids, aviation, smart cities, and digital infrastructure, General Secretary and President To Lam said these programmes had helped Viet Nam gain access to the technology, management experience, and advanced solutions of the US.

Viet Nam is entering a new stage of development, with significant demand for strategic infrastructure, energy, transport, logistics, digital transformation, and high technology — all areas in which the US has strengths and USTDA has relevant experience and appropriate support tools.

USTDA should strengthen coordination with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and businesses to select several strategic and high-impact projects for focused support, initially in fields of energy and power grids, digital infrastructure and data centres, aviation, seaports, logistics, and modern transport; and play a “pathfinder” role from the project preparation stage, thereby helping Viet Nam gain early access to the standards, technology, management experience, and resources of the US.

General Secretary and President To Lam also called on USTDA to pay greater attention to new, high-technology, and high-value-added fields such as AI, secure digital infrastructure, smart grids, energy security, and solutions supporting the green transition, while also strengthening connections between leading US technology, financial, and infrastructure businesses and Vietnamese partners.

Thomas R. Hardy expressed his agreement with the directions outlined by General Secretary and President To Lam, affirming that USTDA was ready to work closely with Vietnamese agencies to identify suitable projects and mobilise project preparation support tools.

General Secretary and President To Lam also held meetings with Steve Daines, Senator of Montana State and member of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, among others.

General Secretary and President To Lam received leaders of several US corporations.

Meeting with Chairman of Warburg Pincus Chip Kaye, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his wish for Warburg Pincus to continue helping Viet Nam develop larger enterprises with stronger management capabilities and better access to international capital markets, while contributing to the development of a more modern financial and investment ecosystem in Viet Nam.

He welcomed the group’s continued expansion of investment in areas where it has strengths and Viet Nam has significant demand, such as industrial infrastructure, logistics, digital infrastructure, and financial services.

General Secretary and President To Lam also expressed his wish for the group to play a bridging role in helping US businesses gain a better understanding of Viet Nam’s development orientations, investment environment, and new cooperation opportunities that are substantive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial.

Viet Nam is entering a new stage of development and needs high-quality, long-term capital flows accompanied by management capabilities, technology, international networks, and the capacity to help Vietnamese businesses develop into regionally competitive enterprises. These are areas in which Warburg Pincus has considerable experience and can make a substantive contribution.

Meeting with Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing Global and Senior Vice President of Boeing, General Secretary and President To Lam called on Boeing to prioritise strengthening Viet Nam’s position in Boeing’s supply chain; work with Vietnamese agencies and businesses to develop a specific programme to increase the number of Vietnamese businesses qualified to join Boeing’s supply chain; gradually increase procurement and production value in Viet Nam; and support Vietnamese businesses in meeting international standards for quality, safety, traceability, and production governance.

Viet Nam wishes to gradually develop internationally competitive industrial, technical, service, and aviation workforce capabilities, and become a higher-value industrial, technical, and service partner within Boeing’s global ecosystem.

At a meeting with Apple Executive Chair Tim Cook, General Secretary and President To Lam called on Apple to deepen substantive, long-term, and mutually beneficial cooperation with Viet Nam, extending beyond the expansion of manufacturing and business operations, while contributing to developing Viet Nam’s innovation ecosystem, strengthening the capabilities of local enterprises, training engineers and technology experts, and supporting the country’s deeper integration into global technology supply chains.

Viet Nam is entering a new development phase in which science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, and the development of the private sector are key growth drivers. In this context, Viet Nam hopes major technology corporations, including Apple, will continue to accompany the country, expand cooperation, and make greater contributions to strengthening its technological capabilities and human resources, and enhancing its position in global value chains.

General Secretary and President To Lam also had meetings with representatives of several US corporations, including the President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, the Chairman and President and CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, the President and CEO of FedEx Corporation, the Founder and CEO and President of Pacifico Energy, the Founder and CEO of Nebula Energy, and a Member of the Founding Family and Director at Hetero Pharma, who is also a key principal at Camber Pharmaceuticals.

General Secretary and President To Lam, together with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, attended a cultural event and met the Vietnamese community in the US.

In the country’s new era of development, Viet Nam must continue to harness the strength of great national solidarity while drawing on the strength of the times. Domestic and international resources must be connected; material resources should go hand in hand with intellectual resources; while the strength of the more than 100 million Vietnamese at home should be linked with that of 6.5 million Vietnamese living, studying, and working around the world. Only in this way can Viet Nam surely and more swiftly achieve the goals it has set.

The top leader called on Vietnamese people in the US to help realise the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous Viet Nam through concrete actions. He also urged Vietnamese people in the US to preserve the Vietnamese language and pass on the nation’s fine cultural values, customs, and traditions to younger generations, describing these as lasting bonds connecting every Vietnamese person with their homeland and roots.

Opening a new chapter for Viet Nam–Canada relations 

General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as part of his State visit to Canada.

The two leaders reviewed important achievements in Viet Nam – Canada relations over more than 50 years of building and consolidating friendship and nearly a decade of implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework. Political trust and mutual understanding have been continuously strengthened; economic, trade, and investment ties have become an important foundation of bilateral relations; while cooperation in defence and security, education and training, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges has continued to expand. 

On that basis, the two leaders agreed that Viet Nam – Canada relations have met all the conditions to enter a new stage of development, characterised by a higher level of political trust, broader and more substantive cooperation, and more closely intertwined interests, with the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. They agreed to soon develop a concrete agenda and action plan for the effective implementation of the new framework of relations. The two sides agreed to increase high-level delegation exchanges and contacts, promote parliamentary cooperation, make effective use of bilateral mechanisms, including regular consultations and dialogues between the two foreign ministries, and coordinate and support each other at regional and multilateral forums. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his desire to make economic, trade, investment, financial, and economic integration cooperation an important driving force of the Strategic Partnership; facilitate market access for goods, step up trade and investment promotion and supply-chain linkages; encourage Canadian businesses and investment funds to increase investment in Viet Nam; welcome new areas of cooperation such as infrastructure and transport; and support the establishment of direct air routes between the two countries. 

The two countries should focus on new priorities in bilateral relations, including making science and technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies new drivers of cooperation. 

He proposed that Canada continue to pay attention to and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Canada to stabilise their lives, integrate and develop, make positive contributions to Canadian society, and serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries. 

The two sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea/South China Sea; and agreed that disputes should be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). 

The top Vietnamese leader invited the Canadian Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Viet Nam in 2026 and attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in 2027. Prime Minister Mark Carney gladly accepted the invitation and affirmed that Canada supports and stands ready to coordinate with Viet Nam to contribute to the success of APEC 2027.

On this occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between agencies of both countries and announced a Joint Statement on the official elevation of Viet Nam-Canada relations to a Comprehensive Partnership. The leaders expressed confidence that this new framework would open a new chapter in bilateral ties, fostering deeper, more substantive, and effective cooperation, while actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and the world.

At Rideau Hall, General Secretary and President To Lam met with Governor General Louise Arbour.

The General Secretary and President proposed that both sides continue to enhance contacts and the exchange of delegations at all levels—particularly at the high level—consolidate political trust, further leverage existing cooperation mechanisms, and strengthen coordination and mutual support at regional and multilateral forums.

General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that the two sides continue to increase contacts and exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly the high level; strengthen political trust; further promote the role of existing cooperation mechanisms; and enhance coordination and mutual support at regional and multilateral forums.

Regarding economic, trade and investment cooperation, the top Vietnamese leader suggested that the two sides effectively utilise existing economic cooperation and linkage frameworks, expand markets, strengthen supply-chain connectivity, and encourage Canadian businesses and investment funds to make long-term investments in Viet Nam; while expanding cooperation in transportation, infrastructure, logistics and connectivity.

The two countries should create new growth drivers by strengthening cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies; while expanding cooperation in energy, green development, environmental protection, climate change response, health care, high-tech agriculture, food security and sustainable development.

Regarding defence and security, he proposed that the two sides continue to build on the recent cooperation results, and strengthen cooperation in areas consistent with the interests and needs of both sides, focusing on training and capacity building, United Nations peacekeeping, maritime security, war legacy remediation, search and rescue, combating transnational crime and addressing non-traditional security challenges.

He stressed that cooperation in education and training, culture and people-to-people exchanges would continue to serve as important foundations for the long-term development of bilateral relations.

Governor General Louise Arbour agreed with General Secretary and President To Lam’s major orientations for bilateral relations, affirming that Canada stands ready to accompany Viet Nam in promoting cooperation in areas of mutual interest, leveraging the strengths and potential of both countries and bringing practical benefits to their people.

General Secretary and President To Lam held a working lunch with the Speaker of the Senate, Raymonde Gagné, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Francis Scarpaleggia.

Warmly welcoming General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, the leaders of the Canadian Parliament expressed their honour at receiving the top Vietnamese leader at the Parliament, spoke highly of the significance of the visit and the two countries’ fresh agreement to elevate their relations to a Strategic Partnership, opening a new chapter in Viet Nam–Canada relations. 

The Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons affirmed that bilateral relations have been built on a foundation of decades of shared goals, common interests, and enduring friendship. They expressed their belief that the coming years would open up many new opportunities to further deepen relations between the two countries and their people.

The Canadian parliamentary leaders noted that the two countries’ relations already have a broad and solid foundation, while greater achievements still lie ahead and there is much more the two sides can accomplish together.

During his talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney, the two sides had agreed to elevate Vietnam–Canada relations to a Strategic Partnership on the basis of mutual benefit and in line with the potential of and growing demand for cooperation between the two countries. Within the new framework of relationship, he proposed making parliamentary cooperation an important pillar, contributing to strengthening political trust, creating a legal foundation, and promoting the effective implementation of high-level agreements. 

The two sides should increase delegation exchanges, particularly parliamentary leaders, specialised committees, parliamentary friendship groups, women and young parliamentarians; enhance the sharing of experience in legislation and oversight; and coordinate more closely at multilateral parliamentary forums. General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his hope to welcome the leaders of the Canadian Parliament to Viet Nam soon. 

At the Canadian Parliament, General Secretary and President To Lam delivered a policy speech titled “Viet Nam-Canada Strategic Partnership in a Changing World”.

Our President Ho Chi Minh once said: “Though mountains and rivers are thousands of miles apart, we are one family, for within the four seas all are brothers”. On the journey toward becoming a developed nation, Viet Nam hopes for Canada's companionship. Viet Nam hopes that, when looking toward Southeast Asia, Canada will think of Viet Nam as a natural, close, and reliable partner; that together we will become strong maritime nations; and that we will build enduring links between North America and Southeast Asia, between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, between development and innovation, and between peace and prosperity.

In his policy speech, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his honour in addressing the Canadian Parliament—which represents the will and aspirations of the Canadian people—and voiced his hope for increasingly close ties between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the Parliament of Canada, contributing to deepening the bilateral relationship and continuously nurturing and consolidating it through political will, a solid legal foundation, and public support.

General Secretary and President To Lam made clear that Viet Nam and Canada’s decision to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership during his visit was the result of more than half a century of cooperation and friendship, demonstrating their commitment to investing jointly in the future. The new framework should help the two countries gain a deeper understanding of each other, coordinate more effectively, and deliver results commensurate with the new relationship that businesses and people can feel.

At the Parliament of Canada, Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour hosted a state banquet for General Secretary and President To Lam during his state visit to Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior officials from both Viet Nam and Canada also attended.

Recalling the images of Canada's maple tree and Viet Nam's bamboo, they each have their own distinctive beauty but both have deep roots and strong vitality amid change, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his belief that Viet Nam-Canada relations will always remain steadfast on a foundation of trust, broaden cooperation based on shared interests, and continuously strive towards a brighter future.

General Secretary and President To Lam received the Canada-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The parliamentarians affirmed that all members of the group are friends who hold Viet Nam in high regard and have deep affection for and interest in Canada-Viet Nam relations. They said the group currently has 25 members from the Senate and House of Commons, representing various provinces and territories across Canada. The diverse participation of parliamentarians reflects growing interest within the Canadian Parliament in strengthening relations with Viet Nam. The group affirmed that it would continue to serve as a bridge, helping enhance understanding, trust, and support for Viet Nam-Canada relations in the Canadian Parliament and society.

General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his sincere thanks for the valuable support extended by the Parliament of Canada and the Canada-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group to Viet Nam and the development of bilateral relations. He asked the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries to increase exchanges of delegations, promote joint activities, share experience in legislation and oversight, and further their role in building broad consensus in the Canadian Parliament and society on strengthening relations with Viet Nam.

The General Secretary and President called on the group to continue promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation and effectively tap into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), facilitating access to each other’s markets for goods and businesses from both countries, and encouraging Canadian businesses to invest in areas where Viet Nam has demand and Canada has strengths.

At the same time, the two sides need to make breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, clean energy, and high-quality human resource training, while expanding cooperation in education, exchanges, and scholarships, particularly in strategic fields such as AI and aerospace.

As part of his state visit to Canada, General Secretary and President To Lam also engaged in many important activities that contributed to deepening relations and expanding cooperation between Viet Nam and Canada, including attending and delivering remarks at the Viet Nam-Canada High-Level Business Dialogue; receiving representatives of the Canada-Viet Nam Friendship Association, Canadian universities, and businesses; meeting Vietnamese experts and scientists in Canada; and meeting with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in Canada.

Just before General Secretary and President To Lam’s state visit to Canada, a statement from the Office of the Governor General of Canada affirmed that Viet Nam is an important partner for Canada in the Indo-Pacific region and a valued partner within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, as well as the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The Canadian side assessed that bilateral relations have a broad and long-standing foundation of cooperation, reflected in close coordination at both bilateral and multilateral levels, with extensive people-to-people ties, growing economic and trade cooperation, as well as close coordination in energy security and climate change response.

Experts and scholars have also spoken highly of the broad potential for cooperation between Viet Nam and Canada. According to Viet Nam News Agency, Associate Professor Vu Viet Hung, who works at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada, said that Viet Nam and Canada have an opportunity to turn cooperation in science and technology and innovation from individual projects into programmes delivering concrete products and economic value, with AI, aerospace, and strategic technologies having potential to become breakthrough areas.

According to the expert, Canada is one of the countries with a well-developed AI research ecosystem and strong research capabilities. Viet Nam has a large market for putting AI into practice, with a dynamic economy, a young population, a growing technology workforce and a relatively strong capacity to test new models quickly. Therefore, combining Canada’s research and technological capabilities with Viet Nam’s capacity to deploy applications could create a clearly complementary direction for cooperation.

Meanwhile, highlighting the potential for cooperation and technological connectivity between Viet Nam and Canada, Julie Nguyen, Director of the Canada-Viet Nam Trade Council (CVTC), said that Canada has a leading AI research system, strong universities, numerous specialised technology businesses, and extensive experience in developing responsible AI. Viet Nam, meanwhile, has a rapidly growing digital economy, a young workforce, increasingly strong software capabilities, and significant demand for digital transformation.

The working trip by General Secretary and President To Lam is clear evidence of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification, as well as proactive and active comprehensive and extensive international integration, making effective use of the conditions and resources available to open space and potential for the country’s development. Through the trip, Viet Nam conveyed at the highest level the message of a nation entering a new era of development with a vision, determination, and strong aspiration to rise.