Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Gaza Board of Peace meeting in Washington DC on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

WASHINGTON DC — On the sidelines of the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington DC on Thursday, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm met with leaders of Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Armenia, Hungary, Pakistan, and the Czech Republic.

At the meetings, the leaders congratulated Party General Secretary Lâm on his re-election and conveyed congratulations to the Party, the State, and people of Việt Nam on the successful organisation of the 14th National Party Congress.

They also appreciated Việt Nam's increasing role and position in the international arena, and expressed their admiration for Việt Nam'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 Việt Nam, 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 Việt Nam soon at the invitation of the Party General Secretary, and affirmed his appreciation for and desire to continuously develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam's recent economic growth and their desire to deepen bilateral relations with Việt Nam, making them more effective and substantive, especially in areas where each side has strengths.

They 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, Party General Secretary Lâm affirmed that Việt Nam always values and prioritises its relationship with Cambodia. He suggested that the two countries continue to promote political relations, economic and trade linkages, and further deepen the ties between Việt Nam and Cambodia, and between Việt Nam, Cambodia, and Laos.

PM Hun Manet stated that the recent talks between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the Standing Board of the Cambodian People's Party were very successful and have long-term strategic effects.

PM Hun Manet appreciated Việt Nam'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, Party General Secretary Lâm congratulated Armenia on its significant achievements in recent years; and respectfully invited PM Pashinyan and other high-ranking Armenian leaders to visit Việt Nam.

PM Pashinyan expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation with Việt Nam in the future, especially in economy, trade, transport, and education and training cooperation, and also expressed his wish to visit Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam and Hungary. In 2025, bilateral trade turnover exceeded US$1 billion for the first time.

PM Viktor expressed his affection for Việt Nam and said he would arrange a visit to Việt Nam soon. He stated that Hungary has completed the procedures for approving an Official Development Assistance (ODA) package worth $400 million for Việt Nam, and will also provide 200 scholarships annually for Vietnamese students.

At the meeting with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, the two leaders noted that Việt Nam and Pakistan share many similarities and potential for cooperation, agreeing to take measures to enhance mutual understanding and political trust.

They 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 Việt Nam–Czech Republic Strategic Partnership, agreeing to effectively utilise the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to increase bilateral trade. The Czech Republic considers Việt Nam a "gateway" to the ASEAN market, while Việt Nam considers the Czech Republic an important bridge within the European Union (EU). — VNA/VNS