Foreign leaders’ Vietnam visits in 2023 in the spotlight

Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and his wife paid a state visit to Vietnam on December 12 – 13, marking an important milestone in the history of relations between the two Parties and states. The visit that came hot on the heels of the Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to China in late 2022 was believed to elevate Vietnam - China relations to new heights. In the photo, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted the welcoming ceremony for Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in Hanoi.

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During Xi’s visit, the two sides signed a joint statement, the longest joint document in history with more than 8,000 words, that covers various areas, from diplomacy, politics, defense-security to economy, trade, investment, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides also signed 36 cooperation documents in the areas of politics, diplomacy, security - defense, economy, investment, and infrastructure construction. In the photo, the two Party General Secretaries pose for a group photo together with intellectuals and youths of Vietnam and China during an exchange in Hanoi.

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President of the United States of America Joe Biden paid a state visit to Vietnam on September 10-11 at the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Notably, the two sides agreed to lift their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, opening a new historical period of bilateral friendship and cooperation. In the photo, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a welcoming ceremony for US President Joe Biden.

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During the visit, the two sides agreed to continue to deepen bilateral relations within the framework of the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They vowed to further strengthen political-diplomatic relations, especially through meetings between senior leaders of the two countries. President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Vietnam, that is expanding international integration, taking on a greater role in ASEAN and the region, as well as in international cooperation to respond to global challenges.

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President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife paid a state visit to Vietnam from June 22 – 24 to further foster the comprehensive strategic partnership established between the two countries in 2022. The two countries signed 17 bilateral cooperation documents in the areas of economy, trade, finance, development cooperation, labour, environment and resources, increasing the capacity building of the Vietnamese coast guard, and local cooperation.

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President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid his first official visit to Vietnam from August 20-22. During this visit, both sides emphasized that cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan is increasingly expanding into all areas of mutual interest, including new areas with great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. The leaders of the two countries agreed to increase delegation exchanges at all levels through party, state, government, parliament channels, as well as people-to-people exchanges. In the photo, President Vo Van Thuong hosted a welcoming ceremony for Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

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President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and his wife paid a state visit to Vietnam from November 1 to 5 at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong. During the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement, agreeing to continue increasing delegation exchanges and high-level contacts at all levels. They agreed to work closely to organize activities marking 70 years of their diplomatic relations in 2024. On this occasion, the two sides signed six cooperation documents.

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Prime Minister of Cambodia Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet made an official visit to Vietnam on December 11-12. During high-level talks and meetings, the Vietnamese leaders emphasized Vietnam’s consistent policy of giving high priority to the relationship of ‘good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability’ with Cambodia. They said they always respect the tradition of close-knit solidarity and mutual support between the two countries in the past struggle for national independence and in the present cause of national construction and development.

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Chairman of the United Russia Party and Vice Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev officially visited Vietnam from May 21-23. During the visit, the two sides discussed ways to enhance mutual understanding and further improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation. In the photo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the Russian leader to the ballroom for talks. (Photo: VGP)

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Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese paid an official visit to Vietnam on June 3 - 4. During the visit, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a grant of AUD105 million for Vietnamese projects in the fields of infrastructure construction, climate change response and energy transition. The two sides agreed to promote the implementation of the Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Enhancement Strategy (EEES) for the 2021-2025 period, striving to bring two-way trade turnover to US$20 billion and double the current two-way investment level in the near future.

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Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim and his wife paid an official visit to Vietnam on July 20-21. During this visit, the Vietnamese leaders highly appreciated the strong and comprehensive development of cooperation between the two countries. They emphasized that Vietnam and Malaysia are two close neighbours in Southeast Asia and members of ASEAN, that share views on many important international issues. In the photo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) hosted a welcoming ceremony for the Malaysian leader in Hanoi.

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Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong paid an official visit to Vietnam from August 27-29 in an effort to further strengthen bilateral relations and enhance strategic trust between the leaders of the two countries. The visit also aimed to realize existing agreements and sign new agreements, especially in the field of economic cooperation. On this occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of four cooperation documents. In the photo, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pose for a photo ahead of their talks in Hanoi.

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Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko paid a working trip to Vietnam from December 6-9 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. During the visit, the two PMs witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents, including an agreement on the transfer of convicted prisoners, an agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and information exchange in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection, and a cooperation agreement on the dissemination of Vietnamese standards in Belarus.

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Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Cambodia Samdech Khuon Sudary paid an official visit to Vietnam from November 30 to December 2. The visit yielded many practical and successful results, positively contributing to strengthening the relationship of ‘good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, long-term sustainability’ between Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as between the two legislative bodies. In the photo, Veitnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his Cambodian counterpart Khuon Sudary pose for a photo ahead of their talks in Hanoi.

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President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernández paid a working visit to Vietnam from September 24-29, where he also attended a ceremony marking 50 years of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s visit to the liberated zone of southern Vietnam in Quang Tri (September 1973 - September 2023). The visit was expected to contribute to deepening the special friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba.