General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam, along with his wife and a senior Vietnamese delegation, is on a state visit to Singapore from May 29 to 31, at the invitation of President of the Republic of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his partner.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam will be present and give a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 29, following an invitation from Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Bastian Giegerich.
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This official visit by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam is particularly meaningful, initiating a new era of collaboration between Vietnam and Singapore as both nations embark on a new phase of development characterized by interconnected opportunities and challenges.
Singapore marks the initial ASEAN nation to host a state visit from Party General Secretary and State President To Lam after Vietnam solidified essential State leadership roles during the inaugural session of the 16th National Assembly.
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The visit occurs slightly more than a year after To Lam’s trip to Singapore as Party General Secretary in March 2025 and the visit to Vietnam by the Singapore Prime Minister during that time, thus underscoring the significance both nations’ leaders place on Vietnam-Singapore relations.
In recent times, political and diplomatic collaboration between Vietnam and Singapore has been enhanced through increased exchanges of high-ranking officials and other delegations. The Communist Party of Vietnam has upheld strong cooperative ties with Singapore’s governing People’s Action Party (PAP) through various meaningful forms of interaction. Economic collaboration remains a key focus of Vietnam-Singapore relations.
The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) are seen as a clear representation of the strong and efficient economic ties between the two nations and have been compared to a "lighthouse" in their bilateral relations. Both parties are currently focused on enhancing and expanding the next-generation VSIP network linked to high-tech transfer.
In February 2023, Vietnam formed a Green Economy-Digital Economy Partnership with Singapore, marking the first such collaboration and paving the way for new cooperation in the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, and clean energy sectors.
The fields of science and technology have emerged as key aspects of bilateral collaboration.
Vietnam has strengths in a plentiful workforce, an extensive market, and significant growth potential, while Singapore excels in cutting-edge technology, managerial skills, and financial resources.
Vietnam's updated development objectives and ambitions necessitate the backing and collaboration of international allies, with Singapore being a prominent regional and global hub for science, technology, innovation, and digital change.
A significant feature of this trip to Singapore is Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s participation and keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue — one of the key security and defense forums in the Asia-Pacific area.
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The forum acts as a venue for exchanging ideas and deliberating on strategic matters concerning peace, security, and defense. The keynote speech occupies a pivotal role in the Shangri-La Dialogue agenda, establishing the central theme and main discussion points for the event annually.
The presence of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at the Shangri-La Dialogue, along with his keynote speech, allows Vietnam's top leadership to communicate a clear message regarding the nation's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, resilience, multilateralism, and diversification, reinforcing that Vietnam is a friend, a dependable partner, and a responsible member of the global community.
The state visit of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to Singapore, including his participation and keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, is anticipated to create new momentum for the meaningful and effective growth of Vietnam-Singapore relations over a year after the establishment of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, while reinforcing Vietnam’s growing significance, position, and reputation on the global stage.