General Secretary begins official visit to Singapore
VGP - General Secretary To Lam and his spouse arrived at Changi International Airport in Singapore on Tuesday, starting his three-day official visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
General Secretary To Lam and his spouse arrive at Changi International Airport, Singapore, March 11, 2025 - Photo: VNA
He was welcomed at the airport by Singaporean Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, and Singaporean Ambassador to Viet Nam Jaya Ratnam, among others.
This is To's first visit to Singapore in his capacity as the General Secretary, marking a new milestone in the bilateral relations. It reflects Viet Nam's commitment to elevating its relationship with Singapore to new heights, in line with the country's foreign policy direction.
The visit also helps strengthen the relationship between the two Parties, solidifying political foundation for bilateral ties, maximize the cooperation potential between the two countries in various fields, including green economy, digital economy, science and technology, innovation, clean energy, and financial centers.
Singapore was among the first ASEAN countries establishing a strategic partnership with Viet Nam in 2013. Alongside their strong political ties, economic and trade cooperation between the two nations stands out as a key highlight in the Southeast Asian region.
Since 1996, Singapore has consistently been one of Viet Nam's biggest partners. Bilateral trade reached US$8.3 billion in 2021, over US$9.16 billion in 2022, US$9 billion in 2023, and US$8.64 billion in the first 10 months of 2024.
As of October 2024, Singapore remained the leading ASEAN investor and ranked second among 148 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam (behind South Korea). Singaporean investors invested in 3,838 valid projects with a total registered capital of US$81.1 billion.
Its investments span multiple provinces and cities across Viet Nam, focusing on sectors such as manufacturing and processing, real estate business, electricity production and distribution, gas and water supply, and air conditioning.
The Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) are symbol of economic cooperation between the two countries. Since the launch of the first VSIP in Binh Duong in 1996, Viet Nam has become the country with the most VSIPs developed by Singapore worldwide.
Currently, there are 18 VSIPs in 10 provinces and cities, attracting over US$18 billion in investment and approximately 900 projects, creating jobs for more than 300,000 workers.
The VSIPs serve as beacons of the bilateral economic cooperation. They not only drive industrial development and modernization in Viet Nam but also contribute to regional supply chains and economic connectivity./.
