Vietnam's Top Leader Strengthens Ties with France, Mongolia on State Visits

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam paid an official visit to France from September 9-12, followed by a visit to Mongolia. These visits underscore Vietnam's emphasis on its relationship with France, a key partner in Europe and on the international stage. Vietnam wishes to continue close coordination with France to deepen the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a substantive and effective manner. During his trip to France, General Secretary and President Lam met with French President Emmanuel Macron and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries. The two leaders agreed to actively exchange all-level delegations, soon establish new cooperation mechanisms commensurate with the level of bilateral ties, and effectively implement the Vietnam-France Action Plan for 2026-2028. They concurred to continue strengthening cooperation in defence and security, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and in preventing and combating organised transnational crime, among other areas. General Secretary and President Lam also recalled his years of seeking a path to national liberation abroad and thanked the French people for their support. Furthermore, General Secretary and President Lam met with leaders of Serbia, the Republic of the Congo, Bulgaria, Finland, Luxembourg, and the European Commission on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris, advancing cooperation with key partners. In Mongolia, General Secretary and President Lam held meetings with officials including Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) Tran Thanh Man, confirming that bilateral relations have seen substantial progress across a variety of fields, particularly since the establishment of a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2024. Based on the MoU between the two parliaments, they agreed to foster legislative cooperation, contributing to effectively realizing orientations and agreements reached by leaders and driving the Vietnam-Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership in a substantive and effective manner. These visits clearly demonstrate Vietnam's commitment to strengthening its partnerships multilaterally on the international stage and advancing its diplomatic efforts towards economic growth and sustainable development goals. The relationship with France, rooted in history, is further solidified through mutual trust, respect, and forward-looking cooperation, building strong ties in economy, higher education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. With Mongolia, the aim is to promote economic and trade cooperation through parliamentary linkages.