President To Lam Embarks on Strategic Visits to Russia and France

Socialist Republic of Vietnam - Government News General Secretary and President To Lam is scheduled to undertake a state visit to Russia and an official visit to France from September 7 to 12, accepting invitations from Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, respectively. This itinerary underscores Vietnam's commitment to its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, while also highlighting its independent, self-reliant, and resilient foreign policy. The state visit to Russia marks the first by Vietnam's top Party and State leader since 1991. Discussions are expected to cover strategic issues, chart a long-term vision for bilateral ties, and generate new political impetus for advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership. Breakthroughs are anticipated in traditional cooperation areas such as oil and gas, energy, and nuclear power, with economic, trade, investment, and infrastructure connectivity poised to become new drivers. Enhanced cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and human resource training is also on the agenda. In France, President To Lam will attend the International Space Summit, the first global summit at the head-of-state level dedicated to outer space. This visit aims to reaffirm the importance of the comprehensive strategic partnership with France and strengthen their roles as strategic gateways for each other within the EU and ASEAN. The summit presents an opportunity to inject new momentum into economic, trade, and investment cooperation, promoting science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Strategic directions for sustainable development in areas like new energy, green transition, climate change response, transport, infrastructure, defense, security, and education are also to be discussed. Vietnam's participation in the International Space Summit is seen as a demonstration of its development vision and proactive approach to international integration. It offers a chance for Vietnam to engage in shaping rules, standards, and global governance mechanisms for emerging space activities, including space monitoring systems, frequency management, and space traffic. The summit is expected to foster substantive contacts and expand cooperation with international partners in the space sector. Source: Bao Chinh Phu