Deputy FM highlights significance of General Secretary To Lam's visits to Indonesia, Singapore

Speaking to reporters ahead of the visits, the Deputy Foreign Minister said this is the first visit of a Vietnamese General Secretary to Indonesia in eight years, and to Singapore in nearly 13 years.

During his stay in Indonesia, General Secretary To Lam will also visit the ASEAN Secretariat, the first visit of a Vietnamese Party leader to the ASEAN Secretariat.

The visits demonstrate the consistent implementation of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, multi-lateralization and diversification of foreign relations.

The visits also indicate that the Party and State of Viet Nam attach importance to the relations with neighboring countries in the region, including Indonesia and Singapore, and clearly affirm the strategic importance of ASEAN in Viet Nam's foreign policy.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said both Indonesia and Singapore are major partners of Viet Nam in the region.

Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian country to established diplomatic relations with Viet Nam in 1995. The friendly and traditional relationship between the two countries was built and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno and generations of leaders and people of both sides.

Over the past 70 years, particularly since the establishment of strategic partnership in 2013, the bilateral ties have become increasingly comprehensive and extensive thanks to regular exchange of delegations and contacts at both bilateral and multilateral forums.

In 2024, President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto visited Viet Nam while Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with President Prabowo Subianto on the occasion of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit.

The two countries shared various common interests and strategic viewpoints on regional and international issues, particularly within ASEAN framework and East Sea issue.

On economic cooperation, Indonesia is the second largest trading partner in ASEAN while Viet Nam is Indonesia's fourth largest trading partner in ASEAN. The two-way trade quadrupled over the past decade, reaching US$16.7 billion in 2024.

Defense and security cooperation has been promoted through dialogue, exchange and joint training mechanisms. Both sides have signed and implemented a number of agreements in transnational crime prevention and combat, anti-terrorism and maritime sectors.

Singapore established diplomatic relations with Viet Nam in 1973 and both countries elevated their ties to strategic partnership in 2013.

The two countries have maintained high level of political trust through regular exchange of delegations at all levels, and effectively implemented bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the ministerial-level meeting on Viet Nam-Singapore economic connectivity.

Singapore is the second biggest foreign investor in Viet Nam. To date, Singapore has invested in building 18 Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP), a successful symbol of bilateral economic cooperation, in 13 provinces and centrally run cities in Viet Nam, attracting more than US$18.7 billion in investment capital and creating more than 300,000 jobs. Viet Nam has 153 projects in Singapore with total registered capital of US$690 million.

The two-way trade was estimated at US$10.3 billion in 2024. The two countries set up green economy-digital economy partnership, which has opened up opportunities for bilateral cooperation in spearhead and potential areas in the future.

On defense-security cooperation, the two sides have signed an agreement on bilateral defense cooperation, maintained effective cooperation in new security areas such as cyber-security and transnational crime prevention and combat.

The two sides share common stances on regional and international issues, building an international order based on international law and norms.

Both sides have also maintained people-to-people exchanges. At present, there are about 20,000 Vietnamese people studying, working and living in Singapore.