Vietnam's Top Leader Affirms Strengthening Strategic Partnership with Canada

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam met with representatives of several Canadian businesses and corporations on the afternoon of September 25 (local time), as part of his state visit to Canada. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam called on members of the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Association to work more closely with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association, and continue to enhance their role as a bridge between the two peoples. This convergence of interests creates space for Vietnam and Canada to develop broader and deeper relations. Although the two countries do not take exactly the same approach to every international issue, they share an interest in maintaining a rules-based system in which institutions and dialogue help limit the influence of power politics while giving countries greater room to pursue autonomous development choices, Vina Nadjibulla, co-founder and CEO of the Centre for Strategic Statecraft of Canada, said Addressing the roundtable, General Secretary and President To Lam spoke highly of the sound friendship between Vietnam and Canada, built on trust, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The Comprehensive Partnership established in 2017 has provided a favourable framework for expanding bilateral cooperation across various fields. The two sides held four discussion sessions on the multipolar world and changes in the international order; development models in the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) era; protection of international trade in a multipolar world; and the role of political parties in guiding transformation and addressing contemporary challenges. The meeting provided an opportunity for the two sides to brief each other on their respective socio-economic situations and foreign policies, comprehensively review bilateral relations and assess the outcomes of meetings of the Joint Committee’s subcommittees on political affairs, sustainable development, and good governance, rule of law and human rights. A delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs visited the ‌Vatican's Secretariat of State, Dicastery for Evangelisation, Dicastery for Communication and Vatican Radio. National Assembly (NA) Vice President Nguyen Khac Dinh, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, stressed that cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Russian Federation Council, including activities between their respective groups, has received high appreciation from the leaders of both countries. Economic cooperation between the two countries has continued to expand, from Italian machinery used in factories in Vietnam and growing Vietnamese coffee exports to Italy, to value chains combining Vietnam’s manufacturing capacity with Italian technology and expertise, said Italian Deputy Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Valentino Valentini. Agencies directly managing, assigning and employing personnel must bear primary responsibility for their assessment and performance, while the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee’s advisory bodies should strengthen guidance, supervision and early risk warnings, President of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man said. After listening to voters’ opinions and recommendations, NA President Man asked the city to classify them clearly. Issues falling under the authority of the wards should be proactively addressed by grassroots administrations immediately after the meeting. Vietnam and Cambodia need to strengthen youth and student exchanges to foster mutual understanding and trust, thus consolidating the traditional friendship between the two countries, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai has said. Engineering Unit Rotation 5 consists of 184 personnel from the Air Defence – Air Force Service, the Navy, military regions, army corps, and the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. It will replace Engineering Unit Rotation 4 at UNISFA. The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. General Secretary and President To Lam's recent visits to several countries and his trip to New York to attend the High-Level General Debate of UNGA 81 signal the growing emphasis by Vietnam’s leadership on a diplomatic strategy of diversification and balance in response to the increasingly complex and uncertain global landscape, said Prof. Dr. Cheng Hanping of China. Cultural spending should reach at least 2% of total State budget expenditure, with greater efficiency in allocation and disbursement and stronger mobilisation of social resources, said Politburo Member and Standing Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu. The speech carries one consistent message: humanity shouldn't treat confrontation as inevitable in a fast-changing world. Instead, it should proactively manage change through trust, international law, dialogue, cooperation and shared responsibility. The top Vietnamese leader expressed his belief that Vietnam–Canada relations will remain firmly grounded in mutual trust, broaden through shared interests, and continually move toward a brighter future. Hungary is one of Vietnam’s leading important partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Vietnam attaches importance to and wishes to continuously strengthen multifaceted ties with the country. The top Vietnamese leader said the two countries' decision to elevate their relations to a Strategic Partnership comes as a result of more than five decades of friendship and cooperation, reflecting their commitment to jointly investing in the future. The two leaders elevated Vietnam - Canada relations to a Strategic Partnership anchored in eight pillars. Collectively, these pillars position Vietnam and Canada to address shared challenges, seize emerging opportunities, and contribute to a more secure, prosperous, and dynamic Indo-Pacific region. The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency. Building on more than 50 years of friendship and the newly established Strategic Partnership framework, Vietnam–Canada relations as a whole, as well as cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies in particular, would continue to develop in an increasingly substantive and effective manner, for the benefit of the people of both countries and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.