At the invitation of Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, General Secretary and State President To Lam, accompanied by his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will pay a State visit to Singapore from May 29 to 31. During the visit, the Vietnamese leader is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue.
According to AsiaInvest Singapore, the visit is expected to provide opportunity for the two sides reinforce bilateral cooperation, expand economic ties, and underscore Vietnam’s growing stature in regional and global issues.
From political trust to a shared strategic vision
For more than half a century after establishing diplomatic relations on August 1, 1973, Vietnam and Singapore have built an increasingly solid partnership, regarded as one of the most dynamic and effective relationships within ASEAN. Notably, Singapore was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam following the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. In 2013, the city-state became one of the first ASEAN members to establish a Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, before the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.
These milestones not only reflect the continuous development of bilateral relations, but also demonstrate the growing level of political trust between the two nations. Frequent high-level visits and exchanges over the years have strengthened mutual understanding and laid the foundation for the two nations to expand cooperation into new areas aligned with each country’s development priorities and the region’s transformation trends.
At a time when ASEAN is facing intertwined opportunities and challenges arising from strategic competition among major powers, global economic volatility, digital transformation and green transition, Vietnam and Singapore share common views on maintaining peace and stability, strengthening regional economic integration, and promoting ASEAN centrality. This serves as an important basis for the two countries to further enhance coordination on regional and international issues.
Economic cooperation continues to stand out as a key pillar in Vietnam-Singapore relations. According to data from Enterprise Singapore, bilateral trade reached 18.8 billion SGD in 2025, marking a 43.7% increase year-on-year. Singapore is currently Vietnam’s second-largest foreign investor, with more than 4,500 valid projects and nearly 97 billion USD in registered capital. Singaporean investments are present across many strategic sectors of Vietnam’s economy, including manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, real estate, finance and high technology.
AsiaInvest Singapore noted that the increasingly deep economic integration between the two countries reflects a shared aspiration to actively participate in and contribute to ASEAN’s next phase of economic transformation. Amid a volatile and unpredictable international environment, long-term partnerships such as that between Vietnam and Singapore are expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting the region’s sustainable development.
Expanding cooperation in future-oriented sectors, reinforcing Vietnam’s position at the Shangri-La Dialogue
One notable aspect of bilateral relations today is the two countries’ efforts to expand cooperation into high-tech industries and emerging economic sectors. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong, Singapore remains ASEAN’s leading country in innovation, digital transformation, the digital economy, modern finance, and high-quality human resource development.
Building on their complementary strengths, Vietnam and Singapore are promoting cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, semiconductor technology, clean energy, green transition, and the development of international financial hubs. The combination of the two economies is expected to generate new added value and enhance the competitiveness of both countries within regional and global value chains.
General Secretary and State President To Lam will attend and deliver the keynote address at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue. Photo: VNA
In addition, cooperation in human resource training and governance capacity building continues to be maintained as a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. Over the years, Singapore has supported Vietnam in training leaders, managers, and high-quality personnel through a range of practical cooperation programs.
A major highlight of the visit is that General Secretary and State President To Lam will attend and deliver the keynote address at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue at the invitation of Bastian Giegerich, Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). More than just the region’s premier security forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue serves as a platform where world leaders and top experts exchange views on major strategic issues.
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh and Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Rajpal Singh, the fact that General Secretary and State President To Lam will serve as the keynote speaker at a meeting with more than 550 delegates and leaders from 45 countries marks a significant milestone. The event is also seen as an opportunity for Vietnam to share its perspectives on peace, stability, cooperation and development, while reaffirming the country’s growing stature, credibility, and influential voice in regional and international security affairs.
As Vietnam-Singapore relations enter a new phase under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, the State visit by General Secretary and State President To Lam to Singapore is expected not only to further deepen bilateral ties, but also to convey a message of the two countries’ shared commitment to advancing substantive cooperation and contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in ASEAN and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
