From September 21 to 27, General Secretary and President To Lam, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will attend the Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly; hold working sessions in the US; and then pay a state visit to Cuba at the invitation of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez and his wife.

Vietnam’s active participation in and responsible contributions to the Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly will help enhance the country’s international position while further deepening its relations with the UN, partners and international friends in a more substantive manner. The working trip will also help deepen the Vietnam-US comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development.

The state visit to Cuba affirms the Vietnamese Party, State and people’s solidarity and faithfulness to the Cuban Party, State and people, contributing to making the Vietnam-Cuba friendly and cooperative relationship more profound and effective.

Vietnam formally joined the UN on September 20, 1977. In the past nearly 50 years, the Vietnam-UN relationship has become increasingly deepened, strengthened and enhanced.

The development of this relationship has helped protect and promote Vietnam’s national interests, especially in maintaining and reinforcing a peaceful, secure and favourable environment for national development, promote more extensive international integration, and help enhance Vietnam’s position and image on the international stage. This relationship also helps to further deepen Vietnam’s relations with countries and partners, and mobilise important resources for national development.

Vietnam participates increasingly actively in, and makes substantial and extensive contributions in all key operations of the UN. Vietnam has been trusted and elected to many positions and agencies, and has made numerous notable impressions at the UN.

Vietnam has successfully held many important positions at the United Nations, such as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2008-2009 and 2020-2021 terms; a member of the Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 and 2023-2025 terms; a member of the International Law Commission for the 2023-2027 term; Vice President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly; a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the International Law Commission. With many important contributions, Vietnam has promoted the role of the United Nations and multilateralism, promoting respect for the United Nations Charter, international law, equal relations, and development cooperation among countries. Vietnam has participated in the discussion and adopted many important resolutions and declarations of the United Nations on development cooperation, disarmament, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, anti-terrorism, ensuring human rights, etc.

The current world situation continues to develop in a complicated manner. Although peace and cooperation are still the main trends, strategic competition and confrontation between major countries are becoming increasingly fierce, profoundly impacting global security, economy and trade, posing a great challenge to multilateralism in general and the United Nations in particular.

In that context, the UN will host a series of events, including the Summit of the Future from September 22-23, under the theme “Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow” and the General Debate themed “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations” from September 24-28, to unify global solutions to future challenges, as well as today's pressing global issues.

On the eve of the Summit, General Secretary and President To Lam sent a video message to the Global Call for the Future Summit event. In his message, the General Secretary and President emphasised that the Future Summit is an opportunity for the United Nations and multilateralism to affirm irreplaceable values in the face of the great challenges of the times.

The general secretary and president hoped that the Summit of the Future would bring about new thinking and a new modus operandi for the world's future. He expressed hope that discussions at the summit would focus on transformative solutions, including transformation in science-technology and innovation, green transformation, and global governance transformation.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to making a positive contribution to the summit and joint efforts to strengthen peace, cooperation, and international solidarity, aiming to effectively achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure that people fully benefit from development outcomes and are prepared for future generations.

According to Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly’s 78th session, the participation of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam in the UN Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) reflects the highest level of political commitment at a crucial time when the international community is determined to promote multilateralism to address a series of current global challenges. 

The working trip to attend the UN Summit of the Future and the UNGA 79 is the first multilateral foreign activity of General Secretary and President To Lam at the largest global forum of primary importance. 

General Secretary and President To Lam and the Vietnamese high-level delegation carry a great, consistent message of strengthening multilateralism and acting together to build a future of peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainability for all citizens. The working trip will clearly demonstrate the image of Vietnam as a proactive, active, and responsible member of the international community.

Vietnam-US relations have continued to develop positively in recent years, especially with the two countries having upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development in September 2023. Over the past year, the new framework has been actively implemented by both sides and has achieved many practical results. 

Contacts and delegation exchanges have been vibrant at all channels and levels. Along with maintaining regular bilateral dialogue mechanisms, such as the Dialogue on Asia-Pacific, the Law of the Sea in Dialogue, the two sides have for the first time conducted an annual dialogue at the Foreign Minister level, as well as an economic dialogue and a law enforcement and security dialogue at the deputy minister level.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation continues to be an important driving force for bilateral relations. The US remains Vietnam's largest export market. Meanwhile, Vietnam has become the US' eighth largest trading partner in the world and the largest in ASEAN. Vietnam is also the sixth largest supplier of goods to the US market. 

Bilateral trade turnover surges by an average of about 16% per year. Two-way trade turnover in the first 8 months of 2024 reached nearly 88 billion USD, up 22% year on year. For the first time, the US became Vietnam's largest market for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. 

The US is the 11th largest foreign investor in Vietnam with diverse investment forms. The US ranks 7th among countries and territories receiving investment from Vietnam. Many large enterprises of the two countries have actively expanded their investment into each other's markets, thereby creating intertwined interests. 

Bilateral security-defence cooperation has been maintained at an appropriate level with diverse cooperation areas, especially cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war and improving maritime capacity. 

Bilateral education cooperation has achieved many positive progresses recently as the two sides have promoted cooperation in education-training and technology transfer. Cooperation on climate change continues to be strengthened.

The two sides also maintain regular exchanges to enhance cooperation and discuss prospects for expanding cooperation in new areas of each side's need, including the semiconductor industry.

Regarding multilateral cooperation, the two countries continue to closely coordinate on international and regional issues of mutual concern. The US continues to affirm its support for the centrality and solidarity of ASEAN, while appreciating Vietnam's position and role in the association, in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in international forums such as the United Nations and in responding to common global challenges.

The working visit of Party General Secretary and President To Lam to the US coincides with the first anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. It also comes as both sides actively prepare for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2025.

In this context, the visit will contribute to further implementing the results of the agreements between the high-level leaders of the two countries and the joint statement on upgrading Vietnam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Accordingly, both sides will continue to adhere closely to the fundamental principles of the bilateral relationship, further strengthen political trust and strategic confidence, ensure the aspirations of the peoples of both nations, and contribute more positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and around the world.

On December 2, 1960, Cuba became the first state in the Western Hemisphere to establish full diplomatic relations with Vietnam. The special bond of solidarity between the two nations was built on a solid foundation of similarities in the history of nation construction and defence, revolutionary ideals, and the proud tradition of struggle for independence and freedom. The Vietnamese people will always remember the immortal words of leader Fidel Castro: "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed our own blood.”

As a precious legacy that has been deeply valued by the Party, State, and peoples of both countries, the traditional solidarity and special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba continues to flourish across all channels.

The relationship between the two parties has deepened, playing a foundational political role and guiding the development of relations between the two countries. Both sides have maintained bilateral contact and exchanges of delegations at various levels, particularly at the highest levels. They have also effectively implemented mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, the Defence Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Defence Minister level, and political consultations at the Deputy Foreign Minister level.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to inherit and strongly promote the fine traditions, with the determination to bring the special relationship between the two nations into a new stage of development in an increasingly deep and effective manner, focusing on raising economic, trade, and investment cooperation to match the excellent political relations between the two countries.

Regarding trade cooperation, Vietnam is currently Cuba's second-largest Asian trading partner. Both sides continue to implement the Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement with many preferential trade commitments, bringing benefits to businesses from both countries and facilitating bilateral import and export activities.

Regarding investment cooperation, Vietnam is currently the largest Asian foreign investor in Cuba. Vietnamese enterprises are interested in gradually expanding investment in Cuba, especially in the Mariel special economic zone, in the fields of essential consumer goods, construction materials, and renewable energy.

At international forums, especially the United Nations, the two sides actively support and assist each other, especially in issues of strategic interest. Vietnam’s solidarity and support for Cuba are always strongly demonstrated, especially through statements featuring the steadfast stance of the Vietnamese Party and State leaders at multilateral forums.

The two countries are looking forward to celebrating their 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. In this context, To Lam’s first visit to Cuba after being elected as the leader of the Party and State demonstrates the high regard of the Vietnamese Party and State for the special, loyal, pure, and exemplary solidarity and relationship between the two countries.

The visit of the Party General Secretary and President will also continue to contribute to strengthening political trust and improving the effectiveness of cooperation between the two Parties and countries in the coming time.

The working trip of the Vietnamese leader aims to affirm the consistent foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress and the resolutions and directives of the Politburo and the Secretariat on strengthening the effectiveness of the Party’s foreign relations and promoting the level of multilateral foreign relations. The working trip also asserts Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification, as well as proactive and active international integration. Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, actively contributing to peace, friendship, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Published: September 2024
Production managers: CHU HONG THANG - PHAM TRUONG SON
Content: SON NINH - MINH ANH
Design: NHA NAM
Source: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, VNA