General Secretary and President To Lam arrives in the US for UNGA 79
The trip is expected to tighten the bonds between Vietnam and the UN and the US.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee and State President To Lam, with his spouse and Vietnamese top-tier delegates, landed at New York’s J.F. Kennedy International Airport on September 21 afternoon (local time).
| General Secretary and State President To Lam (second, right) and his spouse arrive at the J.F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. Photo: Vietnam News Agency |
Lam and the Vietnamese delegation are about to attend the United Nations (UN) Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79), and working sessions in the US, which are scheduled for September 22-23 (local time).
The Vietnamese delegates were welcomed by Nguyen Quoc Dung, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung, and Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN.
This is the first overseas business trip to the US for General Secretary and State President Lam since he was sworn the General Secretary. This is also the first time a Vietnamese General Secretary and State President attended a UN summit in person.
For nearly 50 years, the Vietnam-UN relations have grown strongly. The UN has accompanied Vietnam in post-war reconstruction, recovery, lifting of economic sanctions, and gradual integration into the global community.
Vietnam has been a proactive UN member, making substantial and comprehensive contributions to all key activities of the UN, including peacekeeping, security, and development cooperation.
To the global community, Vietnam is a highly regarded and trusted member and has successfully assumed many important positions at the UN. The nation is highly valued by the UN leaders, as they hope that its proactive participation will remain and improve in the future.
Meanwhile, after one year of implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the strategic cooperation between Vietnam and the US across multiple fields continues to strengthen, with active exchanges and engagements taking place across all channels and levels.
Economic, trade, and investment cooperation remains a key driving force in bilateral relations. In January-August 2024, the Vietnam-US bilateral trade rose 22% on-year to nearly US$88 billion.
Security and defense cooperation has also been effectively expanded, with the joint efforts to address post-war issues remain a priority in the relationship. Both sides also commit to discussing solutions for other issues regarding each other's legitimate interests.
At this UN summit, General Secretary and State President Lam will deliver major and important messages to endorse multilateralism and affirm the key role of the UN in maintaining peace, cooperation, and development worldwide. He will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of international organizations and countries attending the UN General Assembly.
Vietnam’s top leader will also hold talks with the US government leaders and attend the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam-US diplomatic relations and the first anniversary of upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He will also engage in meetings with US officials, business leaders, experts, and top scholars.
Lam’s trip is an opportunity to reaffirm Vietnam’s independent and self-reliant foreign policy based on multilateralism and diversification of foreign relations, and proactive, active, and comprehensive international integration.
Vietnam is committed to being a reliable partner and responsible member of the international community that consistently contributes to peace, friendship, cooperation, and development in the world.
