Vietnam's General Secretary and President To Lam is set to embark on an official trip to the United States and Canada from September 20 to 25. During this visit, he will participate in the high-level discussion of the United Nations General Assembly and conduct bilateral activities in the US, followed by a state visit to Canada at the invitation of Canada's Governor General Louise Arbour.

This will mark To Lam's second attendance at the UN General Assembly since assuming leadership of the Party and State. The high-level discussion of the 81st UN General Assembly, scheduled for September 22 to 28, will focus on the theme "Restoring Trust, Creating Change: A United Nations for All Countries."

Since joining the UN in 1977, Vietnam has made significant contributions and has taken on various international responsibilities, including chairing the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2026 and serving as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the terms 2023-2025 and 2026-2028. Additionally, Vietnam will have its first representative as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the term 2026-2035.

Vietnam and the US normalized relations in July 1995, elevating their partnership to a Comprehensive Partnership in July 2013. In September 2023, both nations established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. The US remains Vietnam's largest export market, with bilateral trade expected to reach $170 billion by 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, bilateral trade already hit $118 billion.

Meanwhile, the US is the 11th largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with approximately 1,409 projects totaling over $11.9 billion. Conversely, Vietnam ranks seventh among 80 countries and territories receiving investments from the US, with 230 projects and nearly $1.3 billion in registered capital.

Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1973, upgrading to a Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017. By 2025, bilateral trade is projected to reach $8.6 billion, with $4.92 billion recorded in the first half of this year, marking a 27.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Vietnam is Canada's top trading partner in ASEAN, while Canada is the third largest export partner in the Americas and the seventh largest export market for Vietnam.