Vietnamese President Pays State Visit to Canada, Seeking Enhanced Relations

On the morning of September 24 (local time), in the capital Ottawa, Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour presided over the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation on their state visit to Canada. The welcoming ceremony took place solemnly at the Governor General's residence. Following the grand reception, Governor General Louise Arbour and General Secretary and President To Lam addressed the press. Governor General Louise Arbour expressed her joy and warm welcome to General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation on their state visit to Canada. She stated that the visit demonstrates the close and intimate relationship between the two nations. Ms. Louise Arbour emphasized that Canada and Vietnam, separated by an ocean, are connected by a sustainable friendship cultivated over generations. This relationship is based on shared commitments to peace, dialogue, and cooperation. The relationship has developed strongly in many fields, thanks to their complementary strengths and shared interests. This friendship is also clearly reflected in the Vietnamese community in Canada, whose contributions have enriched Canadian society. Affirming that the visit is an opportunity for both sides to acknowledge achievements and look towards the future, Governor General Louise Arbour stated that in a world undergoing profound changes, cooperation remains the best path to jointly overcome challenges faced by the people of both countries, promote prosperity, and contribute to long-term stability. Expressing his pleasure in making a state visit to the beautiful and hospitable country of Canada, General Secretary and President To Lam thanked Governor General Louise Arbour, Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Government, and the people of Canada for the respectful and friendly reception extended to the high-level Vietnamese delegation. General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Vietnam particularly values its relationship with Canada. More than half a century since the establishment of diplomatic relations and nearly a decade since the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership framework (November 2017), Vietnam-Canada relations have made significant progress; political trust has been increasingly consolidated; and economic, trade, investment, defense-security, science-technology, education-training, and people-to-people exchanges have developed more deeply and broadly. On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam sent sincere regards and heartfelt thanks to the overseas Vietnamese community, acknowledging their positive contributions to the achievements of the relationship between the two countries. He wished them good health, success, and continued fulfillment of their role as a bridge of friendship for Vietnam-Canada relations. General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed his desire for the visit to open a new chapter in Vietnam-Canada relations, reflecting a new height of political trust, increasingly deep convergence of interests and vision, as well as the determination of both countries to build a long-term, stable, and practical relationship that serves as a model of cooperation between two nations on opposite sides of the Pacific. General Secretary and President To Lam expressed confidence that with the foundation built by generations of leaders and peoples of both countries, coupled with high political determination from both sides and increasingly intertwined interests, Vietnam-Canada relations will enter a new, more strategic, comprehensive, practical, and effective phase of development. Occurring at a time when Vietnam-Canada relations are converging with many favorable conditions to enter a new phase of cooperation, the visit will contribute to transforming accumulated cooperation opportunities and potential into concrete directions and action programs, bringing practical benefits to the people of both countries. It will also convey a message of the importance both countries place on the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership. Following the official welcoming ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam held a meeting with Governor General Louise Arbour.