Ulaanbaatar (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam 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 Vietnam Jigjee Sereejav, and other officials of the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.

During his visit, Lam 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 Vietnam’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 Vietnam's consistent policy of valuing friendly relations with traditional friends.

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

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 Vietnam in November.

In terms of economy, before 1990, annual two-way trade was only about 2 million RUB equivalent (21,211 USD at current exchange rate). In 1996, the two sides signed a bilateral trade agreement, which helped push two-way trade to 6 million USD in 2008. The figure rose to more than 120 million USD in 2023, and 65.5 million USD 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 thꦛe 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./.