Vietnam's President To Lam Meets French PM, Emphasizes Historical Significance

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Paris early on the morning of September 10 (local time), beginning an official visit to France and attendance at the International Space Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. On the evening of September 9 (local time), General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Moscow, successfully concluding their State visit to Russia and continuing their journey to France for an official visit and to attend the International Space Summit in Paris. Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an online inauguration ceremony for the disease prevention and control laboratory of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre in Hanoi before holding talks in Moscow on the afternoon of September 9 (local time). Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on a State visit to the Russian Federation in Moscow on September 9. As part of his state visit to Russia, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow on the morning of September 8, 2026 (local time). The monument, one of Russia’s most sacred memorial sites, commemorates Red Army soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation arrived in Moscow on the afternoon of September 7 (local time), beginning a State visit to Russia from September 7–9, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his speech, General Secretary and President Lam recalled the late leader’s years abroad seeking a path to national liberation and thanked the French people for their support during his years in France. He called Montreau Park a “red address” and sacred return site with deep historical meaning for Vietnamese visitors to France.