Pyongyang: Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, will visit North Korea to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media reported Monday. The Vietnamese leader is set to embark on a state visit to the North at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, coinciding with the party anniversary scheduled for Friday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Vietnam’s foreign ministry announced that Lam will visit North Korea for three days starting Thursday. This visit will be significant as it marks the first trip to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader in 18 years. Vietnam and North Korea have sustained diplomatic relations since establishing ties in 1950.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also reported that former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, will visit North Korea this week to attend the anniversary event. North Korea is anticipated to conduct a large-scale military parade to commemorate the occasion, with the South Korean military earlier indicating the possibility of a nighttime parade involving tens of thousands of personnel.