Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue - New development step in bilateral relations

Politburo member and Standing Member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu will pay an official visit to Singapore and co-chair the first Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue on August 24-25, at the invitation of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore.

Speaking to the press ahead of the visit, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong said that the visit marks several first milestones, as it will be the first official visit to Singapore by a Standing Member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat. It will also inaugurate the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue mechanism, which the two countries’ leaders agreed to establish during General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam’s state visit to Singapore in May.

Vietnam is the first Southeast Asian country to establish such a mechanism with the PAP, he noted, describing these milestones as reflecting a new qualitative development step in relations between the two Parties and creating stronger political foundations and momentum for deepening the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Cuong expressed his expectation that the Strategic Dialogue will provide a direct, regular and substantive channel for exchanges on Party building, policymaking, governance and national development, as well as other strategic issues of shared interest. The two sides are also hoped to discuss key areas of cooperation, including technology connectivity and human resources training.

Assessing the bilateral relations, the official said that more than five decades after diplomatic ties were established in 1973, Vietnam and Singapore have developed increasingly strong political trust, closely aligned interests and dynamic cooperation.

Political trust has been increasingly translated into practical benefits, reflected in the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2013 and its upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.

Recent high-level visits, including those by General Secretary and President Lam to Singapore in 2025 and 2026, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to Vietnam in 2025, and the upcoming trip by Tu have demonstrated the high level of political trust between the two Parties and countries.

Cuong went on to say that economic, trade and investment cooperation remains a key pillar. Singapore is among Vietnam’s most important economic partners and its second-largest foreign investor, with more than 4,500 valid projects worth approximately 97 billion USD in registered capital across various fields such as manufacturing, logistics, finance and high technology.

The network of 28 Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) across the country stands as a prominent symbol of bilateral collaboration, combining Singapore’s expertise in planning, management and international connectivity with Vietnam’s resources and development potential.

The two countries are also expanding cooperation in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence, innovation, clean energy, green finance, data centres and semiconductor technology. Cooperation between the CPV and PAP has likewise become increasingly substantive, particularly in personnel training and capacity building, he said.

The upcoming visit is expected to generate tangible progress in three areas, the deputy minister stated.

First, it will elevate strategic exchanges and coordination between the two Parties, strengthening political trust and promoting experience sharing in Party building, leadership and governance.

Second, the two sides aim to make breakthroughs in technology connectivity by turning the “three-party model” involving the State, businesses and researchers from both countries into concrete projects, moving beyond technology transfer towards joint development of technologies, products and ecosystems.

Third, the two sides are expected to elevate cooperation in personnel training, making it a key pillar of the bilateral relations and an important contribution to developing high-quality human resources.

The ultimate goal is to translate common perceptions between the two Parties into concrete programmes, projects and outcomes, Cuong said, adding that the coming trip as well as the first Strategic Dialogue will provide fresh momentum for deepening the Vietnam-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a substantive, effective and sustainable manner, for the benefit of both nations' people and a united and prosperous ASEAN./.