Post by : Shakul

Vietnam General Secretary and President To Lam held high-level talks with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Singapore on May 29, reaffirming the commitment of both nations to further strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and expand cooperation across a wide range of strategic sectors.

The meeting took place immediately after a state welcome ceremony hosted with the highest protocol reserved for heads of state. President Tharman warmly welcomed President To Lam, his wife, and the Vietnamese delegation, while congratulating him on his election as President of Vietnam by the country’s 16th National Assembly.

During the talks, President Tharman praised Vietnam’s impressive economic growth and rising international standing. He expressed confidence that under President To Lam’s leadership, Vietnam would continue its dynamic development path and play an increasingly influential role in regional and global affairs. He also highlighted the importance of To Lam’s participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue, where regional leaders are discussing major security and economic challenges.

President To Lam thanked the Singaporean leadership for the warm reception and emphasized that Vietnam places great importance on its relationship with Singapore. He described the partnership as a model of successful cooperation in Southeast Asia and said the visit demonstrated Vietnam’s determination to elevate bilateral relations to a new stage of development.

Both leaders welcomed the positive progress achieved since Vietnam and Singapore upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025. They noted significant advancements in political trust, trade, investment, digital transformation, clean energy, cybersecurity, financial services, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

The discussions focused on creating new opportunities for economic growth through innovation and high-value industries. Both sides agreed to encourage greater investment flows, strengthen business connectivity, and promote cooperation in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, carbon credit trading, and digital infrastructure.

President Tharman and President To Lam also emphasized the importance of science, technology, and innovation as key pillars of future cooperation. They supported accelerating collaboration between governments, businesses, and research institutions to ensure that technological breakthroughs are translated into practical applications that benefit both economies.

Regional and international issues also featured prominently during the talks. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ASEAN unity, promoting multilateralism, and supporting the central role of ASEAN in addressing regional challenges. They also pledged closer coordination in international forums, including the United Nations, ASEAN, and APEC.

Both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, freedom of navigation, and respect for international law in the South China Sea. They supported ongoing efforts to negotiate an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) and emphasized the need for peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international legal principles.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to direct ministries and relevant agencies to actively implement the agreements reached during the visit. President To Lam also invited President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife to visit Vietnam in the near future, an invitation that was warmly accepted.

#Politics #Diplomacy #World News