Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam is expected to visit North Korea next month, two Vietnamese officials said, marking the first visit in nearly 20 years for a Vietnamese leader to the largely isolated nation.
The two Communist countries maintain close diplomatic ties but have currently no trade relations, according to the Vietnamese embassy in Pyongyang.
The possible visit, with preparations still underway, has not been officially announced by either side. Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs and North Korea's embassy in Hanoi did not respond to requests for comment.
The two officials declined to indicate a precise time frame for the visit and the issues that may be discussed, but one official said Lam would meet North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.
The last time a Vietnamese leader visited North Korea was in 2007 when the head of the ruling Communist Party Nong Duc Manh embarked on a three-day trip to the country, marking the first visit by a Vietnamese party chief since the late President Ho Chi Minh in 1957.
In a rare foreign trip, Kim visited Hanoi in 2019 as part of a visit whose highlight was a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, then serving his first term at the White House.
Multiple lower-ranking officials have met in either Hanoi or Pyongyang in recent years, according to a list of meetings on the website of the Vietnamese embassy in North Korea, which shows meetings resumed last year after a five-year pause.
This year the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations.
Lam visited South Korea in August
The visit would follow Lam's trip in August to South Korea, a country with which Pyongyang has tense relations. Lam was the first foreign leader hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung since he took office in June.
Hanoi is highly reliant on investments from Seoul. Samsung Electronics 005930.KS and other large Korean multinationals are leading contributors to Vietnam's economy, with existing investments exceeding $90 billion, largely in factories.
The latest year for which data on trade with North Korea is available is 2016, when Vietnam exported to Pyongyang goods worth nearly $3 million, according to the Vietnamese embassy.
North Korea has for decades faced international sanctions largely linked to its nuclear weapons programme.
U.S. and Pakistani leaders forecast a Sunday signing of a long-elusive framework agreement to end fighting between the United States and Iran, but Teh...
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Fore...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, ...
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, football officials and even a FIFA-appointed referee to attend. It's raised a lot of questions about access to such a high-profile global event.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of colonialism and disputed ownership.
Uganda’s health ministry has raised concerns over what it described as unfair travel restrictions imposed during the current Ebola outbreak, warning that such measures risk undermining transparent reporting. .
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment