On the afternoon of Oct. 6, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, Madam Ngo Phuong Ly, hosted the official welcome ceremony for President Mulino and his wife at Vietnam's National Assembly building.

The presidential motorcade escorted the Panamanian president, his wife and the high-level delegation into the National Assembly complex, where children from Hanoi waved the flags of both countries to welcome the visitors.

To Lam and Ngo Phuong Ly greeted the Panamanian president and his wife on the red carpet. Children then presented the visiting couple with bouquets of flowers.

Accompanied by ceremonial music, the two leaders walked along the red carpet to the honorary platform, where the military band played the national anthems of Vietnam and Panama.

After the national anthems, To Lam and President Mulino stepped down from the platform and reviewed the honor guard of the Vietnam People's Army.

The two leaders then introduced members of their respective high-level delegations attending the ceremony.

Vietnamese officials attending the welcome included Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc; Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung; Chairman of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai; Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh; Deputy Chief of the Party Central Committee Office Dang Khanh Toan; To An Xo, assistant to the General Secretary and President and head of the General Secretary's Office; and Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico and concurrently Panama Nguyen Van Hai.

Representatives of several ministries, central government agencies, and ambassadors and chargés d'affaires from Latin American and Caribbean countries also attended.

Following the welcome ceremony, To Lam and President Mulino held high-level talks.

The visit is President Mulino's first official trip to Vietnam, marking a historic milestone in relations between the two countries.

Vietnam and Panama formally established diplomatic relations in 1975, beginning a relationship between two geographically distant countries that share aspirations for peace, independence and sustainable development.

Over more than half a century, their friendship and multifaceted cooperation have been strengthened through official visits, cooperation agreements and coordination at international forums.

Also on the afternoon of Oct. 6, President Mulino and his wife laid a wreath and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum.

They also laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs on Bac Son Street in Hanoi.

Tran Thuong