President To Lam Holds Meetings with Foreign Leaders in New York

General Secretary and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, To Lam, held separate meetings with leaders from Fiji, Thailand, Australia, Timor-Leste, Switzerland, and Finland in New York on September 22, 2026. These engagements underscore Vietnam's active diplomatic presence on the international stage and its commitment to strengthening cooperation across diverse sectors. During his meeting with Fijian President Ratu Lalabalavu, the Fijian leader expressed admiration for Vietnam's recent achievements and highlighted the significant potential for bilateral cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, sustainable renewable energy, emission reduction, and climate change adaptation. Both leaders praised their countries' effective coordination in multilateral forums like the United Nations and affirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and mutual support. In discussions with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the Thai premier conveyed gratitude for Vietnam's warm reception of the King and Queen of Thailand during their recent visit, noting the substantial room for expanding cooperation between the two nations. General Secretary To Lam spoke highly of the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to deepen bilateral ties more effectively and substantively. Meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, To Lam emphasized the major outcomes of his state visit to Australia in August, particularly the identification of key drivers for the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new era. Both leaders agreed to advance bilateral cooperation to benefit their respective countries and contribute to regional and global peace, cooperation, and development. With Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, the Timor-Leste leader lauded Vietnam's rapid and sustainable development, finding its experience inspirational. He also thanked Vietnam for its support. The two sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation to discuss specific plans, including Vietnam's support for Timor-Leste in economic self-reliance, private sector development, institutional improvement, and infrastructure development. To Lam affirmed Vietnam's readiness to strengthen cooperation in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, telecommunications, education, and people-to-people exchanges, offering support for Timor-Leste's role as an ASEAN member and its upcoming chairmanship. In a meeting with Swiss President Guy Parmelin, both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of Vietnam-Switzerland relations. Switzerland proposed launching joint research projects in agriculture, biotechnology, green energy, and the digital economy. To Lam called for increased Swiss investment in Vietnam, particularly in finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and innovation, and sought Switzerland's experience and support in fintech, international financial center development, digital finance, blockchain, and high-quality human resource development. The two sides aimed to raise bilateral trade turnover to over US$2 billion by 2030. During the meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, General Secretary To Lam welcomed the positive development of Vietnam-Finland relations and affirmed Vietnam's desire to deepen the Strategic Partnership. President Stubb praised Vietnam's socio-economic achievements and noted that both sides are actively implementing the outcomes of To Lam's visit to Finland in October 2025. These meetings highlight Vietnam's focus on building international relationships and driving economic development. Cooperation in advanced technology, sustainable development, and climate change mitigation aligns with Vietnam's future growth strategies. Source: Bao Chinh Phu