General Secretary To Lam held talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong immediately after a formal welcome ceremony for the top Vietnamese Party leader held on March 12 at the Parliament House.

PM Lawrence Wong warmly welcomed General Secretary To Lam, his high-ranking delegation, emphasizing that the visit marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations.

The host leader emphasized the strong political and economic ties between the two countries, along with vibrant people-to-people exchanges, while highlighting their shared and strategic interests on regional and global issues.

To Lam expressed his pleasure at returning to Singapore in his new capacity, as the visit coincides with significant milestones for both nations, including Vietnam’s 80th National Day and Singapore’s 60th National Day.

Affirming Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening its friendship and all-around cooperation with Singapore, the Party chief hailed the country’s achievements in its renewal process. He underscored efforts to accelerate economic restructuring, reform the growth model, drive digital transformation, and promote sustainable development. He also stressed Vietnam’s push to streamline the administrative system by reducing intermediary levels and reforming procedures to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and governance capacity.

The two leaders reviewed key milestones in bilateral cooperation, particularly in economy, trade, and investment, with two-way trade exceeding US$9 billion in 2024.

Singapore remains Vietnam’s second-largest foreign investor, with total accumulated investment surpassing US$80 billion. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) stand as a symbol of successful cooperation. Both sides also recognized positive progress in defence and security co-operation, education and training, science and technology, tourism, labor, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders reviewed the remarkable achievements in bilateral cooperation, particularly in economy, trade, and investment, and acknowledged positive progress in defense and security cooperation, education and training, science and technology, tourism, labor, and people-to-people exchanges. Building on the tremendous accomplishments over more than five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations, they consented to elevate bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a historic milestone and opening a new chapter with a broader and more long-term vision.

Both sides outlined major directions to ensure the new partnership yields substantive and effective outcomes, focusing on enhancing political trust through delegation exchanges at all levels, particularly high-level visits, while expanding and deepening economic, trade, and investment cooperation. 

On regional issues, the two sides pledged to reinforce ASEAN solidarity and prioritize sustainable development in sub-regions, including the Mekong Subregion, contributing to a resilient, prosperous, and sustainably developing ASEAN while enhancing the bloc’s central role in the region.

Speaking to the media after the talks, PM Lawrence Wong showed elation at the upgrade of bilateral relations and announced that on this occasion, the two countries signed several agreements to beef up cooperation, including those on preventing and combating transnational crime, digital transformation, digital economy, fintech, green economy, and renewable energy. They also concurred to expand cooperation in Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs), creating jobs and spurring the development of more modern and smart VSIPs in the future, which demonstrates the significance of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and its role in propelling bilateral cooperation forward.

For his part, Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the talks were highly successful, conducted in an open, candid, and sincere manner with mutual understanding. He expressed his satisfaction with the deepening cooperation over the past 50 years of diplomatic ties, including more than a decade of Strategic Partnership, highlighting the growing political trust between the two nations.

He stated that based on the solid achievements, mutual understanding and trust, shared strategic priorities, and a common vision for regional security, prosperity, and sustainable development, both sides decided to upgrade Vietnam-Singapore relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The new framework will further consolidate political trust and unlock broader and deeper cooperation, making Vietnam-Singapore relations a model of international partnership in the new era.

It is founded on respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and political institutions, as well as adherence to international law, ensuring practical benefits for both peoples while contributing to regional and global peace, stability, and development. The two sides reached a high consensus on directions for carrying out the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the coming period.

General Secretary To Lam emphasized that since Vietnam joined ASEAN, Singapore has been an important economic partner, standing by Vietnam through its reform, opening-up, and development journey, and that Vietnam is proud to have Singapore as a Comprehensive Strategic Partner.

Earlier, host and guest witnessed the signing of several key cooperation documents, including an agreement on preventing and combating transnational crime between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on digital transformation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information, a joint report on offshore wind power trade cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore, an MoU on strengthening financial innovation cooperation between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, a letter of intent on cooperation between Vietnam’s State Securities Commission and Singapore’s Monetary Authority, a decision approving investment projects for VSIP infrastructure development in Nam Dinh and Nghe An provinces, an MoU on research cooperation and investment proposals for projects in Ly Nhan district, Ha Nam province, and a tripartite cooperation MoU between A*Star, Sembcorp, and Becamex.

Welcome ceremony for Party General Secretary To Lam in Singapore

VOV.VN - Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on March 12 hosted a solemn welcome ceremony for Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation at Singapore’s Parliament House.

Singapore names new orchid after Party chief To Lam and his spouse

VOV.VN - On the morning of March 12 (local time), Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, attended an orchid-naming ceremony at the National Orchid Garden within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, as part of his official visit to the island city state.