Vietnam, Canada Elevate Ties to Strategic Partnership

In September 2026, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, along with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will pay a state visit to Canada at the invitation of Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour. This visit follows his attendance at the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and bilateral activities in the United States. The decision to elevate relations to a Strategic Partnership comes as a result of more than five decades of friendship and cooperation, reflecting the commitment of both countries to jointly investing in the future. Top leader To Lam stated that Vietnam regards Canada as a friend and a trusted partner with which it shares many common interests and strategic perspectives. He voiced his hope that the visit will open a new chapter in Vietnam–Canada relations, reflecting a new level of political trust, increasingly close alignment of interests and visions, as well as the determination of both countries to build a long-term, stable and substantive relationship and make it a model of cooperation between two countries on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. The parliamentary friendship groups of Vietnam and Canada should increase delegation exchanges and contacts among parliamentarians, specialised committees, women parliamentarians, and young parliamentarians; promote joint activities and the sharing of experience in legislation and oversight; and further play their role in building broad consensus within the Canadian Parliament and society on strengthening relations with Vietnam. Cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries is also expected to 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. Vietnam consistently attaches importance to its relations with Canada and highly valued the important progress in bilateral relations after nearly a decade of implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework. Vietnam also attaches importance to and wishes to continuously strengthen multifaceted ties with Hungary, which is one of Vietnam’s leading important partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, during his trip to the US to attend the UN General Assembly's high-level general debate, General Secretary and President To Lam met with representatives of several US corporations in New York on September 23 afternoon (local time). US technology expert David Ho noted that the top Vietnamese leader’s assessment of opportunities and challenges in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence (AI) is in line with global trends. This US trip reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification, along with proactive and active international integration in a comprehensive and extensive manner. It marked General Secretary and President Lam’s first working trip to the UN and the US since Vietnam successfully held the 14th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term. Separately, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang expressed her hope that the university will keep innovating, broaden its fields of study, and further sharpen training quality to support Vietnam's workforce development and bilateral educational ties, as Vietnam enters a new growth phase that demands a more skilled workforce. Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Do Minh Hung stressed the role of Vietnamese students, intellectuals, and the Vietnamese community in promoting mutual understanding and connecting the two countries, stating that people are the foundation of the bilateral ties. Meanwhile, the top legislator warned that food safety shouldn't be used to bring back a "request-and-grant" mechanism, and administrative reform shouldn't be an excuse to lower safety standards. Any policy that directly affects products or public health must rest on scientific evidence. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung asked Hai Phong city to work harder to achieve its targets for economic growth, budget collection, investment attraction and public investment disbursement, while addressing bottlenecks and promoting industry, electronics, trade, tourism and support for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. He also asked Hai Phong to review bottlenecks and shortcomings in its cadre contingent, taking into account population, geographical area, workload, the characteristics of urban, rural and island areas, as well as the development requirements and objectives of each locality. The bill aims to complete the legal framework, clear institutional bottlenecks, pool resources and unlock creative potential, while boosting the cultural content of products and services. It's also meant to shield the domestic market and turn cultural industries into a breakthrough growth driver. Greece also needs to recruit more workers, particularly skilled and highly qualified personnel, from ASEAN nations, including Vietnam, to support its economic development, said Greek Minister of Labour and Social Security Niki Kerameus. Vietnam’s image as an active member, reliable partner and responsible country would help further strengthen trust among the Japanese Government, businesses and people. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh said the draft law centres on two major policy areas: further simplifying procedures and reducing business conditions, and transferring the management of rights to plant varieties from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Source: VietnamPlus English