General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee & President Tô Lâm welcomed at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Monday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

ULAANBAATAR — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam arrived at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar on September 30 morning, beginning a state visit to Mongolia at the invitation of President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

The top leader was greeted at the airport by Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Batmunkh Battsetseg, Mongolian Ambassador to Việt Nam Jigjee Sereejav, and other officials of the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.

During his visit, Lâm and senior leaders of Mongolia are scheduled to discuss major orientations and solutions to further strengthen bilateral political trust and cooperation in areas of mutual priorities, especially politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The leader’s state visit to Mongolia continues to implement Việt Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of relations, and proactive and active international integration set at the 13th National Party Congress, the Politburo's Resolution 34 on a number of major orientations to realise the external policy given at the 13th National Party Congress, and Directive 25 of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on strengthening and enhancing the position of multilateral external relations until 2030. It also aims to further promote and deepen the bilateral cooperation with each partner, affirming Việt Nam's consistent policy of valuing friendly relations with traditional friends.

Việt Nam and Mongolia have shared a long-standing traditional friendship. Mongolia was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Việt Nam, the first Southeast Asian country with which Mongolia established diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese top leader Tô Lâm was offered the traditional milk cakes by Mongols as part of the welcome ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

Over the past 70 years, the friendship between the two countries has stood the test of time. The two countries have firmly maintained their mutual trust and given each other selfless assistance during the past struggle for national independence and reunification as well as the current reform and integration.

Over the years, bilateral cooperation has grown strongly across all fields with increased delegation exchanges at high and all levels. Last year, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh paid a state visit to Việt Nam in November.

In terms of economy, before 1990, annual two-way trade was only about RUB 2 million equivalent (US$21,211 at current exchange rate). In 1996, the two sides signed a bilateral trade agreement, which helped push two-way trade to $6 million in 2008. The figure rose to more than $120 million in 2023, and $65.5 million in the first seven months of 2024. The two countries have regularly maintained the meeting mechanism of the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade, Economy and Science and Technology. To date, 18 meetings of the committee have been held.

At the same time, progress has been seen in collaboration in culture, tourism, education and people-to-people exchange. The two sides signed the agreement on visa exemption for each other’s citizens holding ordinary passports in November 2013, creating more favourable conditions for people-to-people exchange activities. — VNS

Vietnamese top leader Tô Lâm at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar. - VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng