Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam will pay state visits to Mongolia and Ireland, as well as attend the 19th Francophonie Summit and visit France from September 30 to October 7, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The top Vietnamese leader will make the visits at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and French President Emmanuel Macron, respectively.

Vietnam and Mongolia established diplomatic relations on November 17, 1954. The two nations have deepened their traditional friendship and boosted mutual support since the establishment of the ties.

In 1996, the two countries signed a bilateral trade cooperation agreement and saw two-way trade reach over US$6 million in 2008.

The figure surpassed $120 million in 2023.

As of November 2019, Mongolia had got involved in three projects in Vietnam, ranking it 96th among 126 nations and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country, with a total pledged capital of $1.1 million.

Vietnam and Ireland set up their diplomatic ties on April 5, 1996, and since then the two sides have made great strides in their trade, investment, and economic partnership.

As of July last year, Ireland became Vietnam’s 55th-largest investor among 147 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation, with 41 active projects totaling $60.8 million in registered capital, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Vietnam joined the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, currently known as the International Organization of La Francophonie, in 1979.

Since then Vietnam has always strengthened its cooperation with the community of French-speaking peoples, becoming a proactive and responsible member of the organization.

Vietnam is considered a key developing member of the organization, actively participating in priority issues such as planning cooperation strategies and enhancing administrative reforms, and plays a crucial role in both planning and implementing these strategies.

The 19th Francophonie Summit is set to take place on October 4 and 5 in Villers-Cotterets and Paris, under the theme ‘Create, Innovate, and Do Business in French.’

The summit will bring together around 100 delegations from states and governments.

Vietnam and France established diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level on April 12, 1973.

France is Vietnam’s fifth-largest European trade partner.

Bilateral trade in 2022 totaled $5.3 billion, up 10 percent year on year.

France is Vietnam's leading bilateral donor of official development assistance (ODA) in Europe. In Asia, Vietnam ranks second among the recipients of French ODA.

France has provided Vietnam with ODA and preferential loans worth three billion euros ($3.35 billion).

The European nation offers ODA loans of at least 200 million euros ($223.4 million) each year, focusing on three priority fields, namely climate change, energy transition, and green growth.

France ranks as the third-largest destination for Vietnamese students globally, with over 10,000 young Vietnamese currently studying there -- an increase of nearly 40% over the past decade.

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