President Michael D. Higgins to welcome first Irish state visit by President of Vietnam [Video]

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS will welcome the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Tô Lâm, and his wife Madame Ngô Phýõng Ly on a state visit to Ireland next week.

Lâm and his wife’s visit will begin on Wednesday and continue to Thursday.

The state visit by President Tô Lâm is the first state visit to Ireland by a Vietnamese President.

In November 2016, Higgins became the first Irish head of state to make a state visit to Vietnam. While there, he visited Hanoi, Dong Ha and Ho Chi Minh City. 

Lâm assumed the office of president in May of this year, and holds both the title of president and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. His successor, Võ Văn Thưởng, resigned following allegations of wrongdoing and regulation violations after a year in power.

In June, Lâm welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vietnam, where they …