Responding to an interview about the outstanding results of the Indonesian State visit, the official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, the official visit to Singapore by General Secretary To Lam and his wife, and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam from March 9 to 13, 2025, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son pointed out: "The visit has historical significance when Vietnam has simultaneously upgraded relations with the two countries in ASEAN, thereby deepening Vietnam's cooperative relations with the two countries, contributing more effectively to the ASEAN common house". To date, Vietnam is the only country in ASEAN where Indonesia and Singapore have established a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The historical significance of the visit also lies in the fact that for the first time, a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited the ASEAN Secretariat, highlighting ASEAN's strategic importance to Vietnam, and affirming Vietnam's consistent policy of making more proactive and responsible contributions to the common cause of ASEAN - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, many news agencies and newspapers in Singapore such as Straits Times, CNA, Business Times... have reported widely on the visit of General Secretary To Lam, emphasizing the increasingly high political trust and the upgrading of Vietnam and Singapore to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a historic milestone in the relationship between the two countries.
CNA reported that Singapore and Vietnam have announced the upgrading of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, emphasizing their commitment to strengthen cooperation in emerging areas, including the digital economy, renewable energy and carbon credits. The Straits Times emphasized that Singapore has upgraded bilateral relations with Vietnam to the highest level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and this is a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship. The Straits Times also quoted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as saying: "This reflects the high level of trust between Singapore and Vietnam, the good things we have done together and the potential to do more".
Some other Singaporean newspapers and websites such as Business Times, Singaporelawwatch.sg... also published articles and articles emphasizing the need for Vietnam and Singapore to deepen bilateral relations through upgrading their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, bringing the bilateral relationship into a new era, expanding and enhancing cooperation in the fields of security - defense as well as emerging fields such as clean energy, digital economy, green economy.
Regarding the state visit to the Republic of Indonesia and the official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, regional and international media assessed that the potential for cooperation between the two countries is great in new areas such as green economy, circular economy, renewable energy, semiconductor technology, etc. The two countries also wish to learn about cooperation in other important areas such as defense, security and maritime; promote people-to-people exchanges, especially between the two countries' youth, and promote tourism cooperation.
According to the English website of Indonesia's between between news agency (en.antaranews.com), Vietnam and Indonesia have achieved the most important goal of upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Many regional and international news sites assessed that Vietnam and Indonesia upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at the "right time" when the two countries have many things in common and can act together in many areas.
Ms. Dinna Prapto Raharja - Associate Professor, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor of Synergy Policies Research and Training Institute based in Jakarta - said that with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam and Indonesia "can inspire each other to make the most of opportunities in the field of science and technology".
ThaiPBSworld of Thai Public Radio and Television Station commented that Vietnam is actively reshaping its diplomatic approach towards becoming a mid-range country by 2045. ThaiPBSworld believes that Vietnam aims to enhance its international position through strategic partnerships, economic growth and diplomatic recovery capabilities. As an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam is ready to lead the bloc after 3 decades of integration and mastering ASEAN's methods.
