Vietnam's Top Leader Embarks on US, Canada Trip for UNGA, Bilateral Engagements

General Secretary and State President To Lam has departed for the United States and Canada from September 20-25 to attend the High-Level General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), conduct bilateral activities in the US, and pay a state visit to Canada. This marks the second time General Secretary and State President To Lam will attend the UNGA session in his capacity as the top leader of the Party and the State. The theme of the 81st UNGA High-Level General Debate is "Rebuilding trust and re-energizing global solidarity: Accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for all." General Secretary and State President To Lam is expected to deliver a speech affirming Vietnam's strong support and commitment to the central role of the UN in multilateral cooperation and promoting respect for international law. The delegation includes Le Minh Tri, Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission; Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission; Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense; Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security; Le Hoai Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Nguyen Hai Ninh, Head of the Central Party Office; Ngo Van Tuan, Minister of Finance; Le Manh Hung, Minister of Industry and Trade; Vu Hai Quan, Minister of Science and Technology, along with other officials. Since joining the UN in 1977, Vietnam has made significant contributions and undertaken important international responsibilities. These include presiding over the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 2026 and serving as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 and 2026-2028 terms. Vietnam will also have its first representative as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term. Vietnam and the US normalized relations in July 1995 and upgraded them to a Comprehensive Partnership in July 2013. In September 2023, Vietnam and the US established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. The US is a leading trade partner for Vietnam, with bilateral trade expected to reach $170 billion in 2025. From January to July 2026, bilateral trade reached $118 billion. The US remains Vietnam's largest export market, while Vietnam is the US's eighth-largest trading partner and the largest in the ASEAN region. Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded them to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017. Bilateral trade is projected to reach $8.6 billion in 2025. In the first six months of this year, bilateral trade reached $4.92 billion, a 27.3% increase compared to the same period last year.