Singapore (VNA) – A key highlight of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam’s State visit to Singapore is his attendance and delivery of a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
This marks the first time a Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam has delivered a keynote address at a multilateral regional security forum.
Observers said the event reflects Vietnam’s solid position as a key player in regional and global affairs.
It demonstrates the attention and high regard of the forum’s organisers and the international community towards Vietnam, reflecting the country’s growing stature, prestige and voice in the international arena, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh.
It also provides an opportunity for Vietnam’s top leader to convey the country’s foreign policy message, he added.
At the same time, Vietnam, Singapore and other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) seek to use the forum to affirm the bloc’s centrality and solidarity amid the current geopolitical landscape.
Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Singapore, Prof. Vu Minh Khuong from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy described the invitation for Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to serve as the keynote speaker opening the international security dialogue as “something very special”.
Prof. Khuong noted that the Vietnamese leader’s speech comes at a time when the world is undergoing major upheavals while the international community has yet to find effective solutions to many pressing challenges.
He stressed that the world needs voices with “vision, wisdom and practical insight” that can help clarify approaches to resolving today’s complex issues, adding that Vietnam being entrusted with such a role is highly encouraging.
As a veteran scholar of Southeast Asian history, Dr Mohamed Effendy B Abdul Hamid, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore, said the invitation for Party General Secretary and State President Lam to deliver the opening address at the Shangri-La Dialogue is highly significant.
This signals Vietnam’s rise as a key actor in both regional and global affairs – an official recognition of the country’s growing influence in international supply chains, maritime security and regional diplomacy, he added./.
