Singapore (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived in Changi Airport on March 11 afternoon, beginning a three-day official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) Lawrence Wong.
The Vietnamese delegation was welcomed by Singaporean Minister of Manpower Tan See Leng, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam, Chief of Protocol of the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chia Wei Wen, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh, and officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore.
This is the first visit to Singapore by Lam in his position as the CPV General Secretary, marking a new milestone in bilateral relations, and demonstrating Vietnam’s special attention to elevating relations with Singapore to new heights, in line with Vietnam’s foreign policy.
The visit is also expected to deepen the ties between the CPV and the PAP, laying a solid political foundation for the bilateral relationship. It will also contribute to further promoting cooperation between the two countries in such areas as green economy, digital economy, science-technology and innovation, clean energy, and financial centre development.
After upgrading their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in September 2013, Vietnam-Singapore ties have been further deepened, proving effective across fields.
Besides the fine political bond, the Vietnam-Singapore economic and trade cooperation stands out as a bright spot in Southeast Asia. Since 1996, Singapore has consistently been one of Vietnam’s largest partners, with two-way trade reaching 9 billion USD in 2023 and 8.64 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2024.
As of October 2024, Singapore remained the top ASEAN investor in Vietnam and ranked second among 148 countries and territories investing in the country, with 3,838 valid projects worth 81.1 billion USD. Singapore's investment projects are present in many provinces and cities across Vietnam, focusing on manufacturing and processing industries; real estate; and production and distribution of electricity, gas, water, and air conditioners.
The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) are a symbol of economic cooperation between the two countries. Since the launch of the first VSIP in the southern province of Binh Duong in 1996, Vietnam has become home to 18 VSIPs across 10 provinces and cities, the largest number of industrial parks developed by Singapore globally. These parks have attracted nearly 900 projects worth over 18 billion USD in investment, and created jobs for over 300,000 workers. VSIPs serve as economic beacons, driving industrialisation and modernisation in Vietnam while also contributing to regional supply chains and economic connectivity./.
Huge potential to elevate Vietnam – Singapore ties: expert
Professor Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy under the National University of Singapore told the Vietnam News Agency that both Vietnam and Singapore possess huge potential to elevate their relations to a new high in the coming time.
