VNA reported that after successfully concluding the State visit to the Republic of Indonesia and an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, on the afternoon of March 11 (local time), General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, began an official visit to the Republic of Singapore from March 11-13, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore and General Secretary of the Singapore People's Action Party (PAP) Lawrence Wong.
General Secretary To Lam's first visit to Singapore as General Secretary contributes to further deepening the relationship between the two Parties, creating a solid political foundation for the relationship between the two countries; promoting the potential for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of: Green Economy, Digital Economy, science and technology and innovation, clean energy, financial center...
Singapore is one of the first ASEAN countries to establish a Strategic Partnership in September 2013. After upgrading the relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2013, the Vietnam - Singapore relationship has increasingly deepened, promoting efficiency in all fields.
Since 1996, Singapore has always been one of Vietnam's largest partners. Trade turnover between the two countries increased every year, reaching 8.3 billion USD in 2021; over 9.16 billion USD in 2022; 9 billion USD in 2023; 8.64 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2024.
In terms of investment, as of October 2024, Singapore maintained its leading position in ASEAN, ranking 2nd/148 countries and territories investing in Vietnam (after Korea), with 3,838 valid projects, with a total registered capital of 81.1 billion USD. Singapore's investment projects are present in many provinces and cities of Vietnam.
Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) are a symbol of economic cooperation between the two countries. From the first Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) launched in 1996 in Binh Duong, Vietnam is now the country where Singapore has built the most industrial parks in the world with 18 VSIP zones in 10 provinces and cities, attracting more than 18 billion USD in investment capital and about 900 projects, creating jobs for more than 300,000 workers. VSIP regions are truly a beacon for economic cooperation between the two countries, not only contributing to promoting industry and modernization in Vietnam, but also contributing to the supply chain and economic connectivity in the region.
Previously, during the State visit to Indonesia and the official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat from March 9-11 by General Secretary To Lam, the two sides agreed to upgrade the Vietnam - Indonesia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, committed to enhancing political trust, cooperation and coordinating to solve global challenges on the basis of respect for international law, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.
The two sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation, setting a bilateral trade target of $18 billion by 2028.
Emphasizing the importance of mutual support and close coordination at multilateral forums, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation and coordination at ASEAN and the United Nations, their commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and aviation in accordance with ASEAN's consistent stance; emphasizing the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes through legal and diplomatic measures, full compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
General Secretary To Lam's visit to the ASEAN Secretariat strongly demonstrates Vietnam's strategic commitment to ASEAN, affirming that ASEAN continues to be a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy in the new era.
