General Secretary and President To Lam, accompanied by his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, will lead a high-level delegation to the US to attend UN conferences and visit Cuba at the invitation of Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez on Sept. 22-26.

This marks the first official visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to the U.S. and Cuba in his new role.

In a message sent to Mr. To Lam in May, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the United Nations’ continued commitment to being a reliable partner in Vietnam’s development journey. 

Guterres also expressed his desire to meet with To Lam to further enhance the excellent cooperation between the two sides. The Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements and its active contributions to addressing global issues at the UN.

The Future Summit, which Mr. To Lam will attend, is regarded as a historic event. A series of important documents are expected to be adopted, laying the groundwork for future cooperation within the UN system.

In a statement made on September 12 ahead of the summit, Mr. To Lam highlighted Vietnam’s hope that this historic conference will bring new thinking and approaches to global challenges. He emphasized that the event presents an opportunity for the UN and multilateralism to reaffirm their irreplaceable values in the face of pressing global issues.

Vietnam will contribute actively to the summit, working alongside other nations to strengthen peace, cooperation, and international solidarity in pursuit of sustainable development goals.

September 2024 marks one year since Vietnam and the U.S. upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Over the past year, numerous high-level exchanges between delegations from both countries have taken place, and the two sides have continued to collaborate on key issues through new dialogue mechanisms.

Recently, the U.S. announced an emergency humanitarian aid package of $1 million to help Vietnam recover from the severe damage caused by Typhoon Yagi.

During his visit to Cuba, Mr. To Lam will reaffirm Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening the traditional solidarity and special friendship between the two nations. Vietnam has long supported Cuba’s just revolutionary cause, and the two countries have stood side by side for over 60 years.

The iconic words of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz – “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood!” – serve as a testament to the deep and enduring relationship between the two countries.

In July, Cuban National Assembly President Esteban Lazo Hernandez led a delegation to Vietnam to offer condolences and attend the funeral of the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.