Vietnam's globetrotter leader to visit Russia, France this month; US trip also planned, sources say

Vietnam's leader To Lam is planning to visit Russia, France, the United States and Canada this ‌month, several people familiar with the plans and the foreign ministry 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 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.

Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that Lam will visit ‌Russia and France from September 7 to 12, and also attend the International Space Summit in Paris to be held on September 9 to 10. 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.

RUSSIA FIRST, THEN FRANCE Lam is expected to meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and France's ⁠leader 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. 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, 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, Lam is expected to head to neighbouring ‌Canada beginning on September ‌24, one of the sources said.