The General Secretary met with leaders of many countries in the US.

On the occasion of attending the opening meeting of the Gaza Peace Council on February 19 (local time), General Secretary To Lam held meetings and exchanges with leaders of several countries.

During the meetings, the leaders congratulated General Secretary To Lam on his re-election and, through him, conveyed congratulations to the Party, State, and people of Vietnam on the successful organization of the 14th Party Congress. The leaders highly appreciated Vietnam's increasing role and position in the international arena, expressing their admiration for Vietnam's strong development in various aspects, especially socio -economic development and recent reforms and innovations.

All partners agreed to strengthen substantive and effective bilateral relations with Vietnam, prioritizing areas where each side has advantages and needs, such as economics, trade, science and technology , digital transformation, green transformation, transportation, and cooperation in addressing challenges.

Leaders of various countries attend the opening session of the Gaza Peace Council in the United States. Photo: The White House.

Emphasizing the need for enhanced coordination within key 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 Strip Peace Plan to promote sustainable peace in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter.

During his meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian leader expressed his desire to visit Vietnam soon at the invitation of the General Secretary . He affirmed his appreciation for and desire to continuously develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam in various fields. The two leaders agreed to continue strengthening close cooperation and coordinating positions in regional and international forums, especially ASEAN and the United Nations; consolidating solidarity and promoting ASEAN's central role.

During meetings with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, the leaders all expressed their admiration for Vietnam's 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 strengthen political trust through exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly at the high level, prioritizing cooperation in economics, trade, investment, cultural exchange, and people-to-people interactions.

During his exchange with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Vietnam always values ​​and prioritizes its relationship with Cambodia. The General Secretary suggested that in the coming period, 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.

Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the recent talks between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Standing Committee of the Cambodian People's Party yielded very positive results with long-term strategic effects. He highly appreciated Vietnam's role in maintaining unity within ASEAN, considering it a positive factor contributing to stability in the region and internationally.

During his exchange with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, General Secretary To Lam congratulated Armenia on its significant achievements in recent years and respectfully invited Prime Minister Pashinyan and other high-ranking Armenian leaders to visit Vietnam. Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economics, trade, transportation, and education and training, and also expressed his wish to visit Vietnam.

During the meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the effective development of the Vietnam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership; in 2025, bilateral trade turnover exceeded US$1 billion for the first time. Prime Minister Orban Viktor expressed his affection for Vietnam and said he would arrange a visit to Vietnam soon. He stated that Hungary had completed the procedures for approving US$400 million in ODA for Vietnam, and would also provide 200 scholarships annually for Vietnamese students.

During the meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister 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; happily accepting each other's visits at appropriate times and agreeing to promote cooperation in many fields, including prioritizing the promotion of economic and trade agreements, exploiting each other's markets and comparative advantages.

General Secretary To Lam meets with leaders of various countries on the occasion of attending the opening meeting of the Peace Council on Gaza. Photo: VNA.

During the meeting with Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka, both leaders expressed their appreciation for the Vietnam-Czech Republic Strategic Partnership and agreed on the need to effectively utilize the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to increase bilateral trade. The Czech Republic views Vietnam as a "gateway" to the ASEAN market, while Vietnam considers the Czech Republic an important bridge within the European Union (EU).

The Vietnam-US relationship is a model of reconciliation.

Also on February 19th, General Secretary To Lam held a phone conversation with former Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont) - a close friend and partner of Vietnam.

The General Secretary expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation for Senator Patrick Leahy's valuable, persistent, and dedicated contributions to the normalization, consolidation, and development of Vietnam-US relations over the past decades, particularly in the humanitarian field and addressing the consequences of war, which have been the foundation for enhancing understanding and trust between the people of the two countries.

The General Secretary shared that attending the opening meeting of the Peace Council this time was also an opportunity to meet American friends, thereby marking a positive start for 2026 and contributing to creating new momentum for the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States.

During the phone call, General Secretary To Lam highly appreciated the Trump administration's continued commitment to relations with Vietnam based on respect for Vietnam's political system, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He also welcomed the Trump administration's continued emphasis on ASEAN's central role and its increased cooperation with the region, thereby contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development.

Former Senator Patrick Leahy expressed his deep affection and attachment to Vietnam, affirming the bipartisan support of the U.S. Congress for Vietnam.

He emphasized his pride in being one of the early American senators to oppose the Vietnam War. One of his first crucial votes in the Senate was in support of ending the war.

He affirmed that the Vietnam-US relationship is a model of reconciliation, built on a foundation of mutual respect and common interests; and affirmed that he will always be ready to continue speaking out, supporting, and contributing to promoting cooperation and strengthening relations between the two countries.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-gap-lanh-dao-nhieu-nuoc-tai-my-2491570.html