Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan of Vietnam arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday on a three-day visit, at the invitation of Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav.

As soon as she landed in Kathmandu, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba paid a courtesy call on Xuan, and discussed a wide range of issues including direct flights to international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa that have struggled to attract foreign airlines for years after their opening.

According to the foreign minister’s private secretariat, Deuba requested the Vietnamese Vice President to help initiate flights from Vietnam to the Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa and the Pokhara International Airport.

Minister Deuba highlighted that a large number of Vietnamese visit Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, every year to make her case for direct flights between the two countries.

Deuba emphasised the need to promote the cultural ties between Nepal and Vietnam that are based on Buddhism, according to a statement issued by the foreign minister’s secretariat.

Stating that the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Nepal has increased in recent years, Deuba stressed the importance of utilising this opportunity to give tourism a boost.

She also sought Vietnamese support for Nepal’s transitioning from a Least Developed Country (LDC) after 2026.

On Sunday, the two vice presidents will hold bilateral meetings, followed by a luncheon in honour of the Vietnamese leader and her delegation.

The Vietnamese vice president will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli the same day and will hold an interaction with the Vietnamese community in Nepal, according to the itinerary.

Later on Sunday, she will attend the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, co-hosted by the Vietnam-Nepal Friendship Association and the Nepal-Vietnam Peace, Solidarity and Friendship Committee.

On Monday, she will pay a courtesy call on President Ramchandra Paudel. She is then scheduled to tour the Patan Durbar Square and Swayambhunath Stupa before leaving for Bangkok.

Minister Deuba reportedly congratulated Vietnam on its rapid economic growth, noting that other countries could draw lessons from its development trajectory.

She also sought support for Nepal's candidacies for the UN Human Rights Council (2027–2029) and the Economic and Social Council (2029–2031).

Vice President Xuan expressed Vietnam’s commitment to supporting Nepal in its aspirations on global forums.

Both leaders are learnt to have underscored the importance of continued collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels, particularly in areas such as South-South cooperation, climate change, and safeguarding the interests of developing nations.

Nepal and Vietnam, members of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77, have consistently supported each other in advancing shared global agendas.