General Secretary and President To Lam of Vietnam met with Canada’s Governor General Louise Arbour following an official welcome ceremony in Ottawa, marking the first state visit by a Vietnamese Party and state leader since diplomatic ties were established.
Historic Milestone in Bilateral Relations
Governor General Arbour welcomed General Secretary To Lam as her first State Guest since assuming office, calling the visit a “historic milestone” in Vietnam-Canada relations. She noted Vietnam’s impressive socio-economic development and growing international role, emphasizing that both nations are Pacific countries with shared interests in regional peace and stability.
“Canada regards Vietnam as an important partner in the region,” Arbour said, highlighting complementary strengths in resources, technology, education, energy, agriculture, and finance. She expressed optimism about expanding cooperation across various fields to deepen economic interdependence.
Vietnam Proposes Expanded Partnership
General Secretary To Lam thanked the Governor General for the warm reception and stressed that the visit occurs at an important juncture, as both countries pursue new development goals in the Asia-Pacific. He highlighted over half a century of diplomatic development and the positive progress under the full partnership framework established nearly a decade ago.
“Political trust has been continuously strengthened; economic, trade and investment cooperation has expanded,” To Lam noted, citing achievements in defence, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. He proposed increasing high-level contacts, strengthening political trust, and enhancing coordination at regional and multilateral forums.
On economic cooperation, To Lam suggested leveraging existing frameworks, expanding markets, strengthening supply-chain connectivity, and encouraging Canadian long-term investments in Vietnam. He also proposed new growth drivers through science and technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies.
In defence and security, he recommended building on recent results with cooperation in training, UN peacekeeping, maritime security, war legacy remediation, and combating transnational crime. Both sides agreed to deepen collaboration within the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, and other multilateral mechanisms.
During the meeting, General Secretary To Lam extended an invitation to Governor General Arbour to visit Vietnam, which she accepted gratefully.
Multilateral Coordination and Regional Engagement
On regional and international challenges, both leaders called for strengthened dialogue to address intertwined global issues, reaffirming respect for the UN Charter and international law. They pledged to coordinate positions on peacekeeping, maritime cooperation, and responses to transnational threats.
General Secretary To Lam highlighted the value of educational and cultural exchanges as long-term foundations for bilateral trust. Governor General Arbour acknowledged Vietnam’s growing role on the world stage and reiterated Canada’s readiness to support joint initiatives that reflect mutual interests.