General Secretary To Lam - Photo: TTO Document
According to the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Secretary To Lam and his wife will pay a state visit to Indonesia, an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat and Singapore from March 9 to 13.
The visit took place on the occasion of Vietnam celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with Indonesia and the 30th anniversary of Vietnam joining ASEAN - a historical milestone that started the process of regional and international integration.
Responding to the press, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong said this was the first visit by a General Secretary of our country to Indonesia after nearly 8 years (since August 2017), to Singapore after nearly 13 years (since September 2012). This was also a "historic" visit as it was the first time a General Secretary visited the ASEAN Secretariat.
This visit of the General Secretary demonstrates the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and attaches importance to relations with neighboring countries in the region. At the same time, it clearly affirms the strategic importance of ASEAN in Vietnam's foreign policy.
Strengthening long-standing relations with countries
Looking back at the relationship between Vietnam and Singapore, Indonesia and ASEAN in recent times, Mr. Cuong said that Indonesia was the first country in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1955. The traditional friendship established by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno has been continuously nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries.
After 70 years, especially since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership (2013), cooperation between the two countries has become increasingly comprehensive and extensive. Exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts take place regularly both bilaterally and in multilateral forums.
For example, in 2024, President Joko Widodo and then President-elect Prabowo Subianto both visited Vietnam. President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with President Prabowo Subianto on the occasion of the APEC Summit and the G20 Summit.
Economic cooperation between the two countries has achieved many positive results. Indonesia is Vietnam's second largest trading partner in ASEAN. Vietnam is Indonesia's fourth largest trading partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade turnover has increased fourfold in the past decade, reaching 16.7 billion USD in 2024.
Defense and security cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia has been promoted through dialogue, exchange and joint training mechanisms. Other important areas such as cultural cooperation, education, tourism, people-to-people exchange, etc. continue to be valued.
Cooperation activities between Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia - Photo: VNA, THANH CONG, VF
With Singapore, after more than 50 years of officially establishing diplomatic relations (1973) and 10 years of Strategic Partnership (2013), Vietnam - Singapore relations continue to develop strongly with a high level of political trust and regular exchanges of high-level delegations at all levels.
As the economic locomotive of the region, Singapore is also one of Vietnam's leading economic partners, the largest investor of Vietnam in ASEAN and second in the world.
One of the symbols of success is the Singapore-Vietnam Industrial Parks ( VSIP ). To date, there have been 18 VSIPs in 13 provinces and cities, attracting more than 18.7 billion USD in investment capital, creating jobs for more than 300,000 workers.
"In particular, the Green Economy - Digital Economy Partnership between the two countries is opening up many new prospects for bilateral cooperation in key areas with great potential in the future," Mr. Cuong affirmed.
The two countries basically share the same stance on regional and international issues, building an international order based on international law and global standards. At the same time, Vietnam and Singapore have a close people-to-people relationship, with about 20,000 Vietnamese studying, working and living long-term in Singapore.
Vietnam's 30-year journey in ASEAN
Regarding ASEAN, Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong said that it can be said that the three decades since we joined ASEAN in 1995 until now have been "a journey of many memorable marks for both Vietnam and ASEAN".
Those 30 years have witnessed a Vietnam that has gradually matured, developed, become more proactive and ready to contribute more to the common work. Throughout the process of participating in ASEAN, Vietnam has always given the highest priority to maintaining ASEAN solidarity and unity.
Vietnam's 2020 ASEAN Chairmanship is a challenging term, but we have been very successful in our leadership role, mobilizing overall strength, and helping ASEAN overcome unprecedented difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vietnam's contributions are also reflected in its responsible and proactive participation in shaping ASEAN's strategic decisions, from promoting the formation of ASEAN-10 in the late 1990s to many important documents bearing Vietnam's mark.
In particular, it is impossible not to mention the ASEAN Future Forum 2025, which was recently held very successfully in Hanoi.
After two times of organization, this initiative has gradually become a brand of a true forum of ASEAN and for ASEAN, affirming Vietnam's leading role in shaping regional exchanges, contributing to enhancing the country's foreign relations stature.
Along with efforts to promote regional connectivity, Vietnam promotes its role as a bridge to expand ASEAN's foreign relations and bring ASEAN into deeper and deeper participation in global processes in its role as coordinator of ASEAN relations with partners.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong - Photo: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
"I believe that the upcoming visit of the General Secretary will lay the foundation and open new cooperation spaces for Vietnam's relations with Indonesia, Singapore and ASEAN," Mr. Cuong expressed.
He believes that the visit will not only strengthen political trust and deepen existing areas of cooperation between Vietnam and the two countries, and between our Party and political parties in the two countries. At the same time, it will also create momentum to explore new and promising areas of cooperation, especially in science and technology, digital economy, green economy, and innovation, aiming to become a model in international relations.
"As members of the ASEAN family, strengthening bilateral relations between Vietnam and Indonesia and Singapore, and sharing a common voice on regional and international issues will also contribute to the overall development of ASEAN, for a united, self-reliant and developed ASEAN," Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong affirmed.
Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hai-thu-tuong-viet-nam-va-kyrgzystan-tham-nha-san-ao-ca-bac-ho-uong-ca-phe-2378294.html
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