General Secretary and President To Lam is scheduled to visit the United States and Canada from 20-26/9. During this trip, he will participate in the high-level general debate of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in the US, engage in bilateral activities, and undertake a state visit to Canada. The state visit to Canada comes at the invitation of Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang announced these details today. This marks General Secretary and President To Lam's second attendance at a UN General Assembly session as a Party and State leader.

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly's high-level general debate, scheduled from 22-28/9, will focus on the theme "Restoring trust, fostering transformation: A United Nations for the benefit of all countries".

General Secretary and President To Lam. Photo: Giang Huy

Vietnam has actively contributed to the UN since joining in 1977, taking on significant international responsibilities. These roles include chairing the 11th Review Conference of 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. Notably, Vietnam will have a representative serving as a judge on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term, a first for the nation.

The visit to the US underscores the deepening ties between Vietnam and the United States. Relations normalized in July 1995, advanced to a Comprehensive Partnership in July 2013, and were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in September 2023. The US stands as Vietnam's leading trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching 170 billion USD in 2025 and 97,7 billion USD in the first half of 2026.

The state visit to Canada highlights the strong relationship between the two nations, which established diplomatic relations in 1973. This relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017. Canada is actively implementing its Indo-Pacific Strategy, seeking to strengthen ties with ASEAN and other key regional partners.

Ngoc Anh