Vietnam's Top Leader Concludes Russia, South Korea Visits, Fostering Ties

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Moscow on the evening of September 9 (local time), successfully concluding their State visit to the Russian Federation and continuing their journey to France for an official visit and to attend the International Space Summit in Paris. During the visit, Vietnam and Russia clarified concrete measures to bolster their cooperation in various fields, including political and diplomatic affairs, defense and security, economy and trade, fuel and energy, transport, industry and agriculture, science and technology, education and training, health care, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides concurred that in the new development period, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation should become a new driver of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The launch of a new infectious disease prevention and control laboratory was seen as a further translation of the traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia into practical scientific cooperation. On September 8, General Secretary and President To Lam met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow. They agreed on the need to bring about stronger breakthroughs in trade cooperation, noting that the two economies have significant potential and complementary strengths. On September 9, General Secretary and President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended the Vietnam–Russia science and technology forum on connecting strategic technologies in Moscow. Earlier, on September 8, General Secretary and President To Lam held a meeting with Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matvienko in Moscow. General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that Vietnam consistently attaches importance to its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, considering the relationship one of its top priorities in implementing its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification. During his state visit to Russia, General Secretary and President To Lam also laid wreaths at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on September 8. On September 8 afternoon, he met with Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and a delegation of the Russian War Veterans Association and the Russia–Vietnam Friendship Association. On September 7 afternoon, he met with Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) Gennady Zyuganov. In parallel, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man's official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) also yielded significant outcomes. On September 7, President Tran Thanh Man and Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Cho Jeong-sik held talks in Seoul, agreeing on measures to deepen the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on economic ties, science and technology, parliamentary cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. President Tran Thanh Man also met with Korean Prime Minister Han Seong Sook on September 7, reiterating Vietnam's commitment to growing bilateral ties substantively, effectively, and sustainably in line with their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During his visit, President Tran Thanh Man met with leaders of major RoK conglomerates investing in Vietnam, discussing the deepening economic ties between the two nations. The article highlights that Vietnam and the RoK are increasingly interconnected in trade, investment, and production, with cooperation broadening in scale and scope, opening new opportunities in areas like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and green energy. His spouse, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, accompanied by Cho Mi-seon, spouse of RoK National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong Sik, visited the National Assembly Museum in Seoul on September 7. Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird stressed the importance of translating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam into tangible results, citing General Secretary and President To Lam’s state visit to Australia in early August as a strong example. Separately, joint patrols along the Vietnam-Cambodia border help safeguard border markers, maintain security and order, and strengthen solidarity between the two countries’ border forces.