HCMC – Party General Secretary and President To Lam will be visiting Mongolia, Ireland and France following his tours of the United States and Cuba, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
His visits will take place between September 30 and October 7 at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said the Party General Secretary and President’s coming trips reaffirm Vietnam’s foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, demonstrating the importance Vietnam attaches to its relationships with these three countries and its wish to elevate the frameworks of cooperation.
Vietnam and Mongolia set up diplomatic relations on November 17, 1954. Bilateral trade in 2023 exceeded US$120 million. Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh paid a state visit to Vietnam in November 2023. The forthcoming state visit by the Party General Secretary and President marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Lam’s state visit to Ireland is expected to prop up Vietnam-Ireland diplomatic relations, which were established on April 5, 1996. Ireland is Vietnam’s sixth largest trading partner in the EU, with two-way trade reaching nearly US$3.5 billion in 2023 and US$2.2 billion in the first half of this year. Vietnam is one of nine priority partner countries receiving development aid from Ireland.
Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations on April 12, 1973, and upgraded them to a strategic partnership in 2013. France is Vietnam’s fifth-largest European trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$5.3 billion in 2022 and US$4.8 billion in 2023. France is the leading bilateral European ODA donor to Vietnam, and Vietnam ranks second among the countries receiving ODA from France in Asia.
In France, Lam will attend the 19th Francophonie Summit, which will take place from October 4 to 5. The Francophone Community has 88 member countries and territories, including 54 full members.
