Weaving the Vietnam - Singapore bond tighter for the aspiration to reach new achievements

General Secretary To Lam and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speak to the press announcing the upgrading of Vietnam-Singapore relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, March 12, 2025. (Source: VNA)

What does the official visit to Vietnam by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, which took place right after the official visit to Singapore by General Secretary To Lam, show in the more than 50-year friendship between the two countries, Ambassador?

The official visit to Vietnam by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong from March 25-26, which took place right after the official visit to Singapore by General Secretary To Lam (March 11-13), is unprecedented in the relationship between the two countries. Firstly , it goes beyond all conventions and precedents, demonstrating the unprecedented closeness and bond between the two peoples.

Second , while the first visit of General Secretary To Lam to Singapore as the head of our Party upgraded the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthening political trust and creating a strategic framework to promote bilateral cooperation in all aspects, the official visit to Vietnam of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Secretary General of the Singapore People's Action Party (PAP), aims to implement the content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and strongly develop bilateral cooperation in both breadth and depth.

Ambassador Tao Thi Thanh Huong is the Ambassador of Vietnam to the Republic of Singapore for the 2018-2021 term.

Third, this is not only Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first official visit to Vietnam as Prime Minister, but also affirms that Singapore prioritizes and values ​​the role of Vietnam. The two consecutive high-level visits send a message that Vietnam-Singapore cooperation is more meaningful than ever in the context of a world full of instability and unpredictable challenges, along with increasing protectionism, which has a great impact on the economic development of countries.

Looking back over the past five decades, it can be seen that both Vietnam and Singapore value each other's roles. After the Paris Agreement was signed on January 27, 1973, the US agreed to completely withdraw its troops from South Vietnam, Singapore was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam on August 1, 1973. In January 1978, the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong paid an official visit to Singapore, and the two sides issued a joint statement, which affirmed the guiding principles for Vietnam - Singapore relations.

During the process of Vietnam's opening up and international integration, Singapore has always been an important economic partner, accompanying and cooperating effectively with Vietnam. In 2004, the two sides signed a Joint Statement on the framework of comprehensive cooperation in the 21st century. In September 2013, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Singapore diplomatic relations, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially visited Vietnam, and the two sides issued a Joint Statement upgrading the relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Recently, in the beautiful and vibrant atmosphere of Spring 2025, General Secretary To Lam officially visited Singapore for the first time as the head of our Party, and together with Singaporean leaders, announced the upgrading of the relationship between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is the first time Singapore has established relations at this level with an ASEAN member country.

Over the past half century, the relationship between the two countries has developed remarkably in all important areas. And with these two very special high-level visits, it is certain that this is an important foundation for the friendship between the two peoples to continuously develop strongly, comprehensively, and reach new heights.

According to the Ambassador, what creates trust and harmony in the Vietnam - Singapore relationship as well as between the leaders of the two countries?

Vietnam and Singapore are natural partners, close in geographical location, connected by similar cultural foundations in the Southeast Asian region. The similarity in cultural values ​​is the bond that binds the two nations closer and closer together. It is also a solid foundation for the relationship between the two countries to develop more and more deeply.

The people of Vietnam and Singapore are resilient, have a strong vitality, and a strong will, and do not yield to any difficulties or challenges. Moreover, the two nations have shown that they are always full of creativity, with the desire to rise up and create glorious miracles. Thanks to that, the leaders and people of the two countries can easily share and accompany each other in development for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Leaders of the two countries have high political trust, shared interests and strategic priorities, as well as a common vision for security, prosperity and sustainable development in the region. Vietnam and Singapore are active members of ASEAN cooperation as well as important multilateral mechanisms in the region. The two countries cooperate closely within the framework of the United Nations and in many international cooperation mechanisms.

In the context of the world situation with many uncertainties and challenges, the leaders of both countries are deeply aspired to develop the country, put the national interests above all, and do everything for the people. General Secretary To Lam and the Vietnamese leaders are working with the whole nation to realize the aspiration to bring Vietnam into a new era of development, an era of national growth. Meanwhile, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, representing the fourth generation of leaders of the Lion Island, is striving to "write the next chapter of the Singapore story".

This is an important time for the two nations. Vietnam is holding party congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress, while vigorously implementing the policy of streamlining the public administrative apparatus towards effectiveness and efficiency. Singapore is preparing for the upcoming general election, an important event for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and the future of Singapore. This important context and moment make the shared vision and strategic cooperation between the leaders of the two countries more meaningful than ever, contributing positively to the implementation of each country's development strategy, for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Ambassador Tao Thi Thanh Huong and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan with ASEAN Ambassadors at the Vietnam Pavilion at Singapore's Hari Raya Traditional Fair in May 2018.

Having spent many years working in Singapore as the head of the Vietnamese representative agency in this beautiful island nation and the remarkable progress in relations between the two ASEAN members recently, what impresses you most about the relations between the two countries, Ambassador?

Although the relationship between Vietnam and Singapore is the relationship between a nation of 100 million people, covering an area of ​​more than 330,000 square kilometers, and a country of less than 6 million people covering an area of ​​730 square kilometers, it is of strategic importance to both countries. Bilateral cooperation has developed strongly and extensively in many fields. Besides close cooperation in politics, security, culture and people-to-people exchanges, the most profound impression for me is on economic cooperation.

The economic cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore has been truly vibrant and effective over the years. The two countries are each other's leading trade partners in ASEAN. In 2024, the two-way import-export turnover between Vietnam and Singapore reached more than 31.67 billion SGD, an increase of 9.49% over the same period in 2023. Although it is a market with a small population, Singapore is a trade and service center, a transit market for many goods to many countries in the region and the world, so it has a lot of potential to help export Vietnamese products to many countries around the world.

In terms of investment, Singapore maintains its leading position in ASEAN, ranking second out of 148 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, after South Korea. Notably, from 2020 to present, despite being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the instability of the world situation, Singapore has emerged as the largest investor in Vietnam each year, with registered investment capital of 9 billion USD (2020), 10.7 billion USD (2021), 6.45 billion USD (2022), 6.8 billion USD (2023), and 10.21 billion USD (2024).

Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) are symbols of economic cooperation between the two countries. Vietnam is the country where Singapore has built the most industrial parks in the world with 18 VSIPs 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. VSIPs not only contribute to promoting industrialization and modernization in Vietnam, but also contribute to Vietnam's supply chain and economic connectivity.

Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) are symbols of economic cooperation between the two countries. (Source: HTLand)

The two countries also established a green economic - digital economic partnership in February 2023 during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Singapore. The two sides are actively cooperating in areas such as clean energy, renewable energy, education, training, and fostering high-quality human resources.

Most recently, during General Secretary To Lam's official visit to Singapore, the two sides signed many economic cooperation agreements, including cooperation in innovation, finance, securities, currency, offshore wind power trade in Vietnam, and continued investment in Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks...

So what is the reason for the strong vitality of the economic cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the Lion Island? It is thanks to Singapore's success in positioning and implementing its development strategy: turning Singapore into a regional and international center of trade, finance, aviation, maritime, logistics, etc. Meanwhile, Vietnam has been effectively implementing an open-door policy and deep international integration. And the two countries have made efforts to cooperate closely to exploit the advantages and potentials of cooperation with each other, bringing the bilateral economic cooperation relationship to constantly develop and reap outstanding achievements.

So proud!

Thank you very much Ambassador!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ben-chat-them-soi-day-gan-ket-viet-nam-singapore-cho-khat-vong-vuon-len-nhung-ky-tich-moi-308756.html