Top Vietnamese leader meets with foreign leaders, heads of international organizations in New York

The meetings took place as part of his ongoing trip the U.S. to attend the high-level general debate of UNGA 81.

At the meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam, Ghanaian President John Mahama expressed his impression of Viet Nam's strong development and transformation, describing the country as an inspiration for African nations in their past struggles for national independence and their current national development efforts.

President Mahama expressed his wish for Viet Nam to support Ghana in agriculture, particularly rice cultivation.

To Lam agreed with Ghana's proposals and said he would direct relevant agencies to soon implement them in an effective and substantive manner. 

The two leaders agreed to continue close coordination in multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations.

At the meeting with the Vietnamese Party and State leader, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay expressed his delight at the positive development of Viet Nam-Bhutan relations, particularly since the State visit to Viet Nam by the King and Queen of Bhutan in August 2025, which he described as a historic milestone opening a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister affirmed that he would direct relevant agencies to closely coordinate with Viet Nam to increase exchanges at all levels and effectively implement the outcomes of the King and Queen's visit.

General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches importance to and wishes to further promote its friendship with Bhutan in an increasingly substantive and effective manner for the benefit of the two peoples.

He proposed that the two sides establish a bilateral cooperation mechanism, with their foreign ministries coordinating to set up an exchange mechanism to promote the effective implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Cooperation Framework between the two countries.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay welcomed the proposal and expressed support for Vietnamese businesses to expand investment in Bhutan.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in healthcare and education, as well as cultural, artistic and tourism exchanges in various forms; mull over the early establishment of direct air services between the two countries; and promote people-to-people exchanges. They also agreed to further cooperation in religious affairs, particularly those related to Buddhism.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of shared concern. They agreed to maintain close coordination at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and inter-parliamentary forums of which the two parliaments are members, and promote South-South cooperation.

At the meeting with General Secretary and President To Lam, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State thanked Vietnamese authorities for creating favorable conditions and providing active support for the stable and effective operation of the Holy See's Resident Papal Representative in Viet Nam.

He expressed confidence that the two sides would maintain the positive momentum of their relations and work toward new progress in the future in a manner that serves their common interests and meets the aspirations of the Catholic community.

General Secretary and President To Lam acknowledged and spoke highly of the positive contributions of the Catholic Church of Viet Nam in education, healthcare, social welfare, and charitable and humanitarian activities.

He stressed the need to increase contacts to further deepen and broaden Viet Nam-Vatican relations, and proposed that the Holy See encourage the Catholic Church of Viet Nam to effectively uphold patriotism and stand alongside the nation in contributing to national construction and development.

The two sides spoke highly of contacts and exchanges at all levels in recent years, which have helped strengthen mutual trust and laid a foundation for the long-term development of bilateral relations.

They agreed to continue high-level delegation exchanges and effectively implement the Joint Working Group mechanism. They also expressed support for multilateralism and respect for international law in pursuit of a peaceful world and sustainable development.

At the meeting with UNGA 81 President Khalilur Rahman, General Secretary and President To Lam congratulated him on his election to the post and spoke highly of the theme of the 81st session, saying it aptly reflects the urgent need to deliver concrete, fair and practical outcomes for all countries and peoples.

Sharing Viet Nam's major development orientations, To Lam said the country is vigorously implementing strategic policies to improve its institutions and renew its development model, with science and technology, innovation and digital transformation serving as key drivers.

Viet Nam strives to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030 and a developed, high-income country by 2045, while seeking to translate its internal strength and experience into more practical commitments and contributions to peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world.

Recalling Viet Nam's proactive and active contributions to important mechanisms and UN peacekeeping operations, he affirmed that Viet Nam stands ready to closely coordinate with the UN and make positive contributions to the priorities and initiatives of the UNGA 81 President.

Viet Nam is also ready to co-coordinate negotiations on documents, initially the process of developing the outcome document of the fourth UN Ocean Conference (UNOC4), to be co-hosted by South Korea and Chile in 2028.

To Lam proposed that the UNGA promote discussions on solutions for middle-income countries, particularly regarding access to finance, technology and knowledge for sustainable development; support green and digital transitions and the transformation of development models; promote the establishment of a cooperation framework for global governance of artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and broad participation by countries; fully reflect the concerns and interests of developing countries; promote equitable access to technology and narrow the digital divide; and advance new initiatives to respond to climate change.

UNGA 81 President Khalilur Rahman expressed his appreciation for Viet Nam's active support and voiced deep concern over declining trust in the United Nations.

He called for a stronger voice for countries of the Global South, with the UNGA serving as an important forum for articulating the views and protecting the interests of developing countries.

Reaffirming his mission, the UNGA President stressed his determination to restore strategic trust in multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern and agreed to support ASEAN in continuing to uphold its central role in the regional security and development architecture, building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable ASEAN Community, and supporting the bloc's positions and efforts in addressing regional issues./.