Washington D.C. (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam met with the Presidents of Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan; the Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Armenia, Hungary and Pakistan; and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, on the sidelines of the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington D.C. on February 19 morning (local time).
At the meetings, the leaders congratulated General Secretary Lam on his re-election and conveyed congratulations to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam on the successful organisation of the 14th National Party Congress. They also highly appreciated Vietnam's increasing role and position in the international arena, and expressed their admiration for Vietnam's strong development in various aspects, especially socio-economic development and recent reforms and innovations.
The partners all agreed to strengthen substantive and effective bilateral relations with Vietnam, prioritising areas where each side has advantages and needs, such as economy, trade, science and technology, digital transformation, green transition, transport, and cooperation to address issues.
Emphasising the need to enhance coordination in important multilateral mechanisms and forums, the leaders also shared views and positions on prominent regional and international issues of common concern; and agreed to coordinate in implementing the Gaza Peace Plan to promote sustainable peace in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter.
At the meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian leader expressed his desire to visit Vietnam soon at the invitation of the General Secretary, and affirmed his appreciation for and desire to continuously develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam in all fields.
The two leaders agreed to continue strengthening close cooperation and coordinating positions at regional and international forums, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations; and consolidating solidarity and promoting ASEAN's central role.
At the meetings with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and President of Azerbaijan I. Aliye, the leaders all expressed their admiration for Vietnam's recent economic growth and their desire to deepen bilateral relations with Vietnam, making them more effective and substantive, especially in areas where each side has strengths. The leaders agreed to enhance political trust through exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially at the high level, and prioritise cooperation in economy, trade, investment, cultural exchange, and people-to-people interactions.
In his meeting with Cambodian PM Hun Manet, General Secretary Lam affirmed that Vietnam always values and prioritises its relationship with Cambodia. He suggested that in the coming time, the two countries should continue to promote political relations, economic and trade linkages, and further deepen the ties between Vietnam and Cambodia, and between Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
PM Hun Manet stated that the recent talks between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Board of the Cambodian People's Party were very successful and have long-term strategic effects. PM Hun Manet highly appreciated Vietnam's role in maintaining unity within ASEAN, considering it a positive factor contributing to stability in the region and the world.
In the meeting with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, General Secretary Lam congratulated Armenia on its significant achievements in recent years; and respectfully invited PM Pashinyan and other high-ranking Armenian leaders to visit Vietnam.
PM Pashinyan expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the future, especially in economy, trade, transport, and education and training cooperation, and also expressed his wish to visit Vietnam in the near future.
At the meeting with Hungarian PM Orban Viktor, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the effective development of the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Hungary. In 2025, bilateral trade turnover exceeded 1 billion USD for the first time.
PM Viktor expressed his affection for Vietnam and said he would arrange a visit to Vietnam soon. He stated that Hungary has completed the procedures for approving an ODA (Official Development Assistance) package worth 400 million USD for Vietnam, and will also provide 200 scholarships annually for Vietnamese students.
At the meeting with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, the two leaders assessed that Vietnam and Pakistan share many similarities and potential for cooperation, agreeing to take measures to enhance mutual understanding and political trust. They happily accepted each other's invitation to visit at an appropriate time and agreeing to promote cooperation in many fields, including prioritising the promotion of economic and trade agreements, exploiting each other's markets and comparative advantages.
At the meeting with Czech Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka, both leaders expressed their appreciation for the Vietnam-Czech Republic Strategic Partnership, agreeing to effectively utilise the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to increase bilateral trade. The Czech Republic considers Vietnam a "gateway" to the ASEAN market, while Vietnam considers the Czech Republic an important bridge within the European Union (EU)./.
