Vietnam's president to visit Australia, New Zealand

Vietnam's President To Lam will visit Australia and New Zealand from Aug. 9 to 14 to deepen economic and strategic cooperation with the two Indo-Pacific partners, according to local news outlet Vietnamnet.

The visits, at the invitation of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro, will be To Lam's first official trip to the two countries since taking office as president in April 2026.

Vietnam and Australia elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024 and are working to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion while expanding two-way investment.

The two countries also cooperate closely in education, with more than 37,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in Australia. Canberra recently announced nearly $65 million in development assistance for Vietnam for the 2026–27 fiscal year.

Vietnam and New Zealand, which established diplomatic relations in 1975, are implementing a 2025-30 action plan under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two governments aim to raise bilateral trade to $3 billion while expanding cooperation in agriculture, education, climate change and human resource development.​​​​​​​