N. Korea's Kim reaffirms strong ties with Vietnam in National Day letter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties with Vietnam in a letter addressed to President To Lam on the occasion of Vietnam's 81st National Day, according to Pyongyang's state media. Kim expressed the belief that the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two nations would grow even stronger, in line with the spirit of the agreement they reached during their meeting in Pyongyang last October. The letter was released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

National Day in Vietnam commemorates the country's independence from France and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945. Since the October summit, the two nations have been steadily deepening their relationship. Vietnam's top leader To Lam visited North Korea for the first time in 18 years during that meeting.

In May, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung had visited North Korea to discuss matters with his counterpart Choe Son-hui. Additionally, the two countries' security ministers held talks in Pyongyang in June to explore ways to expand cooperation in public security and law enforcement.