Vietnamese President Begins State Visit to Canada, Aiming to Strengthen Ties

Party General Secretary and President To Lam has begun a state visit to Canada, aiming to foster an increasingly substantive, balanced, and effective Vietnam-Canada relationship. The visit is expected to provide fresh impetus for elevating bilateral ties to a higher level, building on the Comprehensive Partnership established over 50 years ago. Upon arrival in Ottawa on the evening of September 23 (local time), or the morning of September 24 (Hanoi time), General Secretary To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation were welcomed for the State visit at the invitation of Governor General Louise Arbour. Prior to his arrival in Canada, General Secretary To Lam engaged in significant diplomatic activities in New York. He met with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and US businesses, receiving a report on the Vietnam War Accounting Initiative (VWAI). He also held meetings at the UN headquarters with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. During the latter, support for Vietnam's stronger engagement in peacekeeping operations was affirmed. Further engagements in New York included meetings with representatives from JPMorganChase and Visa, discussing cooperation in finance and technology. He also met with US Senator Steve Daines, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, indicating Vietnam's proactive approach to strengthening ties with the United States. In the defense sector, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang met with US Assistant Secretary of War for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh. Additionally, a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 aircraft arrived in Hanoi to transport Vietnam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 8 to South Sudan for UN peacekeeping duties. The Ministry of National Defence also held a departure ceremony for Engineering Unit Rotation 5, bound for UN peacekeeping missions in Abyei. On the cultural front, the Asia-Pacific Dialogue Conference on Heritage and Authenticity is scheduled to take place in Hanoi and Ninh Binh from September 27 to October 1. The recent Thang Long-Hanoi Festival 2026 featured an international cultural exchange programme, bringing together traditional cultural values from Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and India. During his working trip to the US for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, General Secretary To Lam also held bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Timor-Leste, Switzerland, and Finland. He delivered a policy speech at the Foreign Policy Association and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between Vietnam and the UN. Discussions with leaders of major US groups, including Warburg Pincus, Boeing, and Apple, focused on investment, aviation, and technology cooperation. These diverse engagements underscore Vietnam's commitment to enhancing its international partnerships and promoting economic development.