By Francesco Guarascio
HANOI, Sept 4 (Reuters) – Vietnam’s leader To Lam is planning to visit Russia, France, the United States and Canada this month, several people familiar with the plans said, as the Communist-ruled country seeks to deepen ties with major partners to combat trade uncertainty hanging over its export-reliant economy.
The pace of high-profile overseas trips is exceptional even for To Lam, Vietnam’s President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party, who has travelled extensively and hosted several foreign leaders since taking power in 2024.
The visits inflate a packed September schedule, which includes a meeting in Hanoi this weekend with Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing and follows state visits to Australia and New Zealand last month. In October, he is expected to return to Europe, where he could meet EU leaders in Brussels as part of a broader trip, according to three people informed about the plans.
None of the planned state visits has been officially announced and the schedule is subject to change.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
RUSSIA FIRST, THEN FRANCE
To Lam is set to begin in Russia on September 7, meeting President Vladimir Putin, before travelling to France to meet Emmanuel Macron, three sources said.
One official familiar with the Moscow visit said the trip aims to build political trust in areas including energy, defence and security. Russia remains Vietnam’s top arms supplier and is involved in nuclear power and South China Sea gas projects, including in waters also claimed by China, though Hanoi has been diversifying its military sourcing.
In France, Lam is expected to attend the International Space Summit in Paris on September 9 to 10two sources said.
Airbus Defence and Space signed a space cooperation declaration with Vietnam during Macron’s visit last year, one of several multibillion-dollar agreements, although many of them are non-binding. French firms are also eyeing Vietnam’s railway, airport and defence projects.
UN SPEECH, CANADA VISIT
After a brief return home, To Lam will travel to the U.S. where he is expected to speak at the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level debate starting on September 21, three sources said.
None of the sources had information about a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
A White House official said that Trump’s schedule for those days has not been finalised.
U.S.-Vietnam ties have been strained by Trump’s push to cut trade imbalances even as Vietnamese exports to the U.S. hit record highs. The two leaders briefly met in February, when Lam joined Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
From the United States, To Lam is expected to head to neighbouring Canada beginning on September 24, one of the sources said.
(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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