Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour (left) welcomed General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm on September 24. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

OTTAWA — Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour presided over an official welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and the high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam, who are on a state visit to Canada, on Thursday morning (local time).

The ceremony took place at the Rideau Hall in Ottawa with the highest honours reserved for heads of state.

Afterwards, General Secretary and President Lâm and Governor General Arbour delivered statements to the press.

Welcoming the leader and delegation of Việt Nam, Governor General Arbour noted the state visit demonstrates the close ties between the two countries.

She emphasised that despite being separated by an ocean, Canada and Việt Nam are bound by an enduring friendship forged across generations – a relationship built on a shared commitment to peace, dialogue, and cooperation.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm reviewed the guards of honour at the welcome ceremony in Ottawa. — VNA/VNS Photo

The partnership has grown robustly across multiple areas, driven by complementary strengths and aligned national interests. Both are bound by a shared commitment to a stable, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. This friendship is further exemplified by the vibrant Vietnamese community in Canada, whose contributions continue to enrich Canadian society, she noted.

The host affirmed that the visit provides an opportunity for both sides to reflect on past achievements while looking toward the future.

In a profoundly changing world, cooperation remains the best path to jointly overcome the challenges facing the two peoples, drive prosperity, and contribute to long-term stability, according to the Governor General.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm addressed the media. — VNA/VNS Photo

Speaking to the press, General Secretary and President Lâm underscored that Việt Nam attaches particular importance to its relations with Canada. More than half a century since the establishment of diplomatic ties and nearly a decade since the two countries adopted the Comprehensive Partnership framework in November 2017, bilateral relations have made important strides. Political trust has continued to be strengthened while cooperation in the economy, trade, investment, defence – security, science – technology, education – training, and people-to-people exchanges has grown in an increasingly intensive and extensive manner.

The top leader attributed these achievements partly to the active contributions by the Vietnamese community in Canada. On the occasion, he extended his warm greetings and sincere thanks to the community, wishing its members good health and success and calling on them to continue to serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

He voiced his hope that the visit will open a new chapter in Việt Nam–Canada relations, reflecting a new level of political trust, increasingly close alignment of interests and visions, as well as the determination of both countries to build a long-term, stable and substantive relationship and make it a model of cooperation between two countries on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean.

A view of the welcome ceremony for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm at the Rideau Hall in Ottawa with the highest honours reserved for heads of state. — VNA/VNS Photo

General Secretary and President Lâm expressed his belief that with the foundation nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries, the strong political determination of both sides, and increasingly intertwined interests, bilateral relations will enter a new phase of development that is more strategic, comprehensive, substantive and effective.

Taking place at a time when Việt Nam–Canada ties are benefiting from favourable conditions to enter a new, broader and more substantive phase of cooperation, the visit is expected to help translate cooperation opportunities and potential accumulated over the years into concrete orientations and programmes of action, bringing practical benefits to the peoples of both countries. — VNA/VNS