General Secretary To Lam's attendance at the Inaugural Meeting of Gaza Peace Board: Elevating multilateral diplomacy in a new era
WVR - General Secretary To Lam attends the Board of Peace on Gaza, showcasing Vietnam's international role in peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
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| General Secretary To Lam meets U.S. President Donald Trump. (Source: VNA) |
On the evening of February 21 (Vietnam time), General Secretary To Lam and members of the high-level Vietnamese delegation returned to Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi, concluding their attendance at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza in Washington D.C., USA. The trip, from February 18-20, was at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, Chairman of the Board of Peace on Gaza.
General Secretary To Lam's direct participation in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza is a significant multilateral activity aimed at effectively implementing the foreign policy of the 14th National Party Congress, focusing on independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, diversifying and multilateralizing foreign relations. It actively contributes to peace, cooperation, and sustainable development, embodying the spirit of being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community, proactively and responsibly addressing regional and global issues.
Enhancing the nation's credibility and image
Following the 14th National Party Congress, Vietnam has engaged in vibrant diplomatic activities with many important partners, starting with successful foreign engagements with neighbouring countries. These include state visits by the General Secretary and high-level Party and State delegations to Laos and subsequently to Cambodia, attending meetings between the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Cambodian People's Party's Standing Committee, and meetings of the heads of the three parties of Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam; phone talks with China, Russia, Cuba, Singapore, and Republic of Korea. Vietnam also welcomed Special Envoys from China, Laos, and Cuba to congratulate the success of the 14th National Party Congress, and hosted official visits from the President of the European Council (EC) and the Speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives.
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| General Secretary To Lam and delegates at the Opening Session of the Board of Peace on Gaza. (Source: VNA) |
Continuing to implement the Party's foreign policy, right in the early days of the new Spring in the Lunar New Year Binh Ngo 2026, General Secretary To Lam attended the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza. Highlighting the significance of Vietnam becoming a founding member of the Board of Peace on Gaza, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Nguyen Quoc Dung emphasised that Vietnam, having endured many devastating wars, deeply understands the value of peace, reconciliation, and post-conflict reconstruction. Vietnam's role as a founding member of the Board of Peace on Gaza is a consistent implementation of the Party's foreign policy, an effort to enhance the nation's prestige and image, and an opportunity for Vietnam to leverage its experience and capabilities to learn and integrate with other countries in executing common missions.
The inaugural meeting of the Board of Peacel on Gaza had the participation of heads of state and leaders from over 50 countries, including founding members and observers. This mechanism is established to coordinate with the United Nations in humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and stabilization efforts in the Gaza Strip.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Chairman of the Board of Peace on Gaza, highly appreciated General Secretary To Lam's attendance at the meeting, expressing profound respect for Vietnam, an admirable country with an increasingly significant role and influence. This demonstrates that Vietnam's international reputation is continuously being strengthened, and its peace-building capacity is acknowledged and respected by major powers and international friends.
Vietnam's participation in the Board of Peace on Gaza aims to contribute to ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians, ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access, reconstructing essential infrastructure, and promoting a credible political process towards lasting and sustainable peace in the Middle East.
Vietnam's consistent stance is that all disputes and conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means, based on international law, the United Nations Charter, respecting the fundamental rights and legitimate interests of the parties involved. As a country that has experienced many wars and received valuable international assistance, Vietnam, with responsibility and goodwill, is ready to closely cooperate with Board of Peace members to participate within its capacity in joint efforts for urgent humanitarian aid, essential infrastructure reconstruction, and building trust among parties.
Vietnam supports specific solutions to end conflict, restore peace, security, reconstruction, and ensure the livelihood of people in the Gaza Strip, implementing a comprehensive political process in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter. Additionally, to ensure sustainable peace and meet the rights of the people of Gaza, Vietnam hopes that the implementation measures will ensure the participation of relevant parties, especially the Palestinian Authority.
Therefore, international and local media highly appreciate Vietnam and General Secretary To Lam as founding members of the Board of Peace on Gaza and their participation in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza in the United States. The The Washington Times issue on February 19 praised Vietnam's proactive contributions to global peace and stability, demonstrating Vietnam's strong commitment to peace and valuing the host country's role in regional reconciliation processes. According to the article, Vietnam maintains an independent foreign policy, diversifying relations, strengthening cooperation with the U.S. while maintaining friendly and stable relations with other partners. This is a flexible, practical, and confident manifestation of the "independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification" diplomatic policy.
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| General Secretary To Lam and heads of delegations at the inaugural session of the Board of Peace on Gaza. (Source: VNA) |
Expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation
During this attendance at the opening meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza, the General Secretary held discussions with leaders from various countries, including those from the Middle East and other regions participating in the meeting, such as the Presidents of Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Armenia, Hungary, Pakistan, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. During these meetings, leaders highly appreciated Vietnam's increasing role and position on the international stage, expressing admiration for Vietnam's robust development, especially in socio-economic progress and recent reforms.
Partners agreed to strengthen substantive and effective bilateral relations with Vietnam, prioritizing areas of mutual advantage and need such as economy, trade, science and technology, digital transformation, green transition, transportation, and cooperation to address issues. Emphasizing the need to enhance coordination at important multilateral mechanisms and forums, leaders also shared views and positions on prominent regional and international issues of mutual concern, agreeing to collaborate in implementing the Gaza Strip Peace Plan to promote sustainable peace in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter.
With the host country, General Secretary To Lam met with U.S. President Donald Trump. During the meeting, President Donald Trump expressed his affection for the Vietnamese people and General Secretary To Lam personally. President Trump reiterated the U.S. commitment to support a "strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous" Vietnam. He welcomed and thanked Vietnam for declaring participation in the Board of Peace, appreciating General Secretary To Lam's direct attendance at the opening meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza, considering it a reflection of Vietnam's increasingly high role and position on the international stage, as well as Vietnam's strong commitment to global peace, stability, and cooperation.
Praising Vietnam's efforts in balancing bilateral trade and the valuable contracts signed during General Secretary To Lam's visit, President Donald Trump responded positively to Vietnam's proposals on economic, scientific, and technological cooperation, indicating he would direct relevant agencies to soon remove Vietnam from the strategic export control list.
Additionally, the General Secretary met with Ambassador Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative; Mr. Kurt M. Campbell, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; and held phone calls with several U.S. Senators. During these interactions, the General Secretary also shared Vietnam's development directions and foreign policy, continuing to promote relations with partners, including the host country, the U.S., in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
On the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year, during a meeting with the Vietnamese community and staff of Vietnamese representative missions in the U.S., the General Secretary expressed his hope that, regardless of their field, the Vietnamese community in the U.S. would continue to contribute to their homeland. He affirmed that the Party and State always welcome and facilitate experts, intellectuals, scientists, and overseas entrepreneurs to contribute more to the country's development, especially in key areas in the new development phase. The Party and State will continue to improve policies for overseas Vietnamese and strengthen coordination with host countries to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the community, helping them live, work, and develop in the host country.
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| General Secretary To Lam with the Vietnamese community in the U.S. (Source: VNA) |
After 30 years of normalizing relations, Vietnam and the U.S. have become Comprehensive Strategic Partners for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. The two countries have transformed historical gaps into a sustainable cooperation bridge, based on mutual respect, understanding, and a shared future vision. During the visit, General Secretary To Lam witnessed the signing and exchange of contracts and cooperation agreements in key areas such as science and technology, digital transformation, aviation, and healthcare. The total value of the contracts and agreements exchanged amounted to 37.2 billion USD, significantly contributing to building a strong, substantive, and balanced development relationship between Vietnam and the U.S.
On this occasion, delegation members also engaged in meetings with U.S. partners to promote and enhance cooperation between the two countries in fields such as science and technology, digital transformation, innovation, human resource training, security, and defense.
Discussing the directions for implementing the results achieved during the trip, Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung affirmed that in the coming time, Vietnam will specifically study to identify areas for participation and make practical contributions, such as participating in peacekeeping activities to ensure stability in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian aid and post-conflict reconstruction activities.
Vietnam's participation in the first major international multilateral diplomatic activity of the Party and State at a high level after the 14th National Party Congress demonstrates a more proactive and substantive approach, valuing peacekeeping, building a stable international environment for development, and actively participating in the international community's joint efforts. It contributes to elevating diplomacy with a spirit of confidence, self-reliance, self-strength, and resilience, effectively contributing to the country's strategic objectives and greater responsibility for global peace and development in the new era.
