Vietnam's Top Leader Visits Russia on State Visit - Exploring Enhanced Ties and Peace Contributions

Vietnamese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party Tô Lâm is undertaking a state visit to the Russian Federation from September 7 to 9, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This marks the first state visit to Russia by Vietnam's top leader in both capacities as President and Party General Secretary. Dang Minh Khoi, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia, emphasized that this visit is a vivid testament to the enduring nature of Vietnam-Russia relations, which remain steadfast amidst rapid global changes. Originating over a century ago with Ho Chi Minh's first visit to Russia, the relationship has continuously strengthened and developed through numerous challenges, supported by mutual assistance and deep-rooted sincerity between the peoples of both nations. The visit carries significant symbolic weight and serves as an important political message, demonstrating both Vietnam's and Russia's high regard for their friendly cooperative ties. It reflects the political will of the leaders and peoples to inherit and build upon their traditional friendship, further solidifying their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. For Vietnam, Russia has consistently been a top foreign policy priority, while Vietnam is a key partner for Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. Immediately following the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first foreign head of state to have a phone call with General Secretary Tô Lâm, congratulating him on the success of the Party Congress. Russia also received a special envoy from the General Secretary, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to inform them about the outcomes of the 14th Congress. Vietnam's Prime Minister made an official visit to Russia in March 2026 and attended the ASEAN-Russia Summit in Kazan in June 2026. Numerous delegations from ministries, sectors, and localities of both countries have exchanged visits, with significant advancements in economic, trade, and tourism cooperation. During the visit, General Secretary and President Tô Lâm will be awarded the International Peace Prize named after Leo Tolstoy, a renowned Russian writer and advocate for peace. This prestigious international award, selected by a distinguished jury from various countries including Russia, France, China, and India, honors individuals and organizations making significant contributions to world peace and inter-ethnic cooperation. This recognition highlights the international community's, particularly Russia's, high appreciation for Vietnam's and General Secretary and President Tô Lâm's efforts and contributions towards building a just world order based on international law, and promoting peace, stability, and development in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Having experienced numerous wars for independence and national defense, enduring significant sacrifices and losses, Vietnam understands the value of peace more than anyone. Vietnam has, is, and will continue to contribute to the common cause of protecting humanity's peace, promoting humanitarian cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, fostering dialogue, strengthening cooperation, building trust, and working together for a better world for the benefit of its people. Ambassador Khoi expressed strong confidence that this state visit will inject new momentum into bilateral relations across all sectors, bringing practical benefits to both peoples and contributing significantly to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. Ambassador Khoi also affirmed that this state visit provides an excellent opportunity for the highest leaders of both countries to jointly discuss major directions for further enhancing cooperation. Within the overall framework of bilateral relations, high-level meetings and contacts play an irreplaceable and crucial role. They serve as the primary channel for strategic orientation of the entire relationship, helping to maintain and enhance political trust. They act as a driving force to translate excellent political relations into concrete cooperation projects and establish a framework for cooperation between ministries, sectors, and localities of both countries. Both Vietnam and Russia attach particular importance to consolidating political relations at the highest level, jointly repositioning and further elevating their comprehensive cooperation in the new context. Cooperation in security, defense, and energy remains a crucial pillar of bilateral ties with ample room for expansion. The agreement on cooperation in building the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam, coupled with expanded oil and gas cooperation, is expected to ensure energy security for Vietnam's new development phase. Leaders of both countries will also focus on and discuss measures to enhance bilateral trade and encourage mutual investment. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which the Russian Federation is an important member. Both sides are considering further expanding trade cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation specifically, and with the Eurasian Economic Union more broadly. Information source: Nhan Dan