Vietnam's Top Leader Outlines Foreign Policy, Growth Ambitions

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam met with leaders of three major US groups – Warburg Pincus, Boeing and Apple – in New York on the afternoon of September 21 (local time). General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his belief that combining Vietnam’s strengths, dynamic economy, development ambitions and innovation opportunities with Stanford’s global knowledge, talent and networks will help establish an effective cooperation model between academia and practice, universities and businesses, and technology and people, generating new value and practical benefits for both sides and the region. These activities have concretised Vietnam’s foreign policy of openness, independence, self-reliance, self-reliance, peace and friendship, diversification and multilateralisation and being a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. Regular exchanges between the Vietnamese and Lao Parties serve not only as vivid evidence of the close and trusted ties between the two Parties, but also as a forum for sharing theoretical achievements and practical experience in building and improving political systems to meet new development requirements. Speaking at a gathering marking the 69th National Day of Malaysia (August 31, 1957-2026) and Malaysia Day (September 16), ran Ngoc Son, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam-Malaysia Friendship Association, said that the Vietnam-Malaysia partnership has been strongly promoted for more than half a century, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, achieving important results across various fields. The fourth conference of the procuracies of Vietnamese and Chinese border localities held in Lang Son province provided a forum for prosecutors from the two countries to exchange practical experience, contributing to maintaining security and social order and building a peaceful, stable and developing Vietnam-China border. NA President Tran Thanh Man described the draft amended Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment as particularly important, saying the revision is not simply about amending several provisions but represents a change in the model of marine governance. The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. While Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 8 replace Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 7 at UNMISS in Bentiu (South Sudan), Engineering Unit Rotation 5 will replace Engineering Unit Rotation 4 at UNISFA. General Secretary and President To Lam stressed that Vietnam always welcomes and values all contributions, whether made directly or from afar. Joining hands to contribute to the homeland, he said, embodies the spirit of “shared national roots and compatriot solidarity”. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam called on USTDA to strengthen coordination with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and businesses to identify a number of strategic, high-impact projects for targeted support, particularly in energy and power grids, digital infrastructure and data centres, aviation, seaports, logistics and modern transport. Secretary-General of the National Liberation Front (FLN) Abdelkrim Benmbarek affirmed the importance the FLN attaches to the continued consolidation of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the two parties on the basis of their cooperation agreement signed last year, thereby helping to promote relations between the two countries and peoples. The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam affirmed that the Vietnamese people have not forgotten those who stood by them during the most difficult years. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang called on the US to continue supporting Vietnam in addressing war consequences, implementing community support programmes and tackling environmental issues to improve living conditions for people in affected areas. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam had a meeting in New York on September 21 with a group of US House lawmakers led by Representative Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Vietnam attaches great importance to its relations with the US and wishes to see the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continue to develop in a stable and long-term manner, in line with the interests and aspirations of the peoples of both countries. Vietnam and Türkiye should also work towards the goal of 4 billion USD in bilateral trade by having Türkiye recognise Vietnam's market economy status, open their respective markets to each other and reduce trade barriers, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam said. If the political momentum generated by high-level exchanges can be translated into durable cooperation mechanisms, science, technology and innovation could move beyond academic exchanges and individual projects to become a substantive pillar of Vietnam-Canada relations, generating concrete products, businesses and economic value for both countries. The Party and State have determined that Vietnam must persistently and resolutely address these shortcomings, while creating favourable conditions and encouraging scientists to conduct research and pursue innovation in order to develop practical and effective products, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam said. A delegation of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) is paying a working visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from September 20-22 to strengthen cooperation in public governance, digital government and training of Vietnamese leaders and managers, particularly strategic-level cadres, to meet national development requirements in a new phase. The two sides agreed to keep working together to deepen the substance of “strategic cohesion”, focusing on effectively implementing the agreements between the two Parties and countries; strengthening defence and security cooperation; creating breakthroughs in economic, trade and investment links; and promoting collaboration in culture, sports, tourism, education, locality-to-locality ties and people-to-people exchanges. NA President Tran Thanh Man said in 2027 the Government should shift from pursuing a high volume of legislation to ensuring high-quality laws that provide stability and create favourable conditions for development. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.