Vietnam’s position on the global stage has been bolstered following a five-day visit to the United States and Canada by Tô Lâm, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President. During the visit from September 20 to 25, Tô Lâm participated in the high-level General Debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session, marking his first appearance at the UN in his current role. The visit represented his initial diplomatic foray to the US and Canada after Vietnam’s recent political transition.
The trip was used by Tô Lâm to outline Vietnam’s development priorities and foreign policy direction, emphasizing the nation’s commitment to addressing global and regional issues. In his address at the UN, he urged for stronger multilateral cooperation and advocated for an enhanced role for the UN in tackling international challenges.
Throughout his visits, Tô Lâm engaged with senior officials, lawmakers, business leaders, academics, and Vietnamese communities in both countries. Discussions with US counterparts focused on strengthening bilateral relations and exploring areas of mutual interest, such as trade and investment.
In Canada, Vietnam and its North American counterpart agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, underpinned by an action plan targeting several cooperation areas. This agreement is expected to facilitate deeper collaboration across various sectors.
Vietnamese officials and businesses also conducted meetings with partners in the US and Canada, which led to agreements in fields including trade, investment, technology, education, energy, and transport. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung highlighted that the focus should now shift to implementing the commitments made during the visit. He identified potential growth areas such as science and technology, defence and security, and notably, nuclear energy cooperation.