The trip will be made at the invitation of President of Indonesia and President of the Great Indonesia Movement Party Prabowo Subianto, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of its People's Action Party (PAP) Lawrence Wong.
This is General Secretary To Lam’s first visit to Indonesia, the ASEAN Secretariat, and Singapore. It is of special significance as it takes place during many important events for Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and ASEAN. The year 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Vietnam-Indonesia diplomatic relations and the 30th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN. Vietnam and Singapore have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Vietnam and Indonesia have a fine time-honoured friendship. Over the past 70 years, since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1955 and upgraded to Strategic Partnership in 2013, the relationship between the two countries has continuously developed strongly and reached new heights.
The two countries have maintained regular high-level visits and contacts. The Communist Party of Vietnam has official relations with the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Political parties in Indonesia have always expressed their respect for the role and position of the Communist Party of Vietnam and their desire to promote cooperation.
Defence and security cooperation between the two countries has been increasingly strengthened through dialogue, exchange and joint training mechanisms. Within ASEAN, Indonesia is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner and Vietnam is Indonesia’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade growing strongly. The two countries regularly organise cultural exchanges, enhance cooperation in education and tourism and actively cooperate.
Vietnam and Indonesia share many interests and strategic views on regional and international issues, especially within the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN and the East Sea/South China Sea issue. In 2022, the two countries signed an Agreement on the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), ensuring fair interests of both sides, following international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is an important historical milestone in the relationship between the two countries, contributing positively to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
The year 2025 is of great significance to ASEAN and Vietnam, marking the entry into a new phase of the ASEAN Community building process, in which intra-bloc solidarity and self-reliance are two decisive factors for ASEAN’s central role and the ASEAN Community building process.
ASEAN has continued to develop and innovate, becoming a successful regional organisation, effectively contributing to dialogue and cooperation for peace, stability, development and the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region in general and Southeast Asia in particular, while responsibly participating with the international community in responding to common challenges.
Vietnam will celebrate 30 years of joining ASEAN in 2025, an opportunity to review the results of cooperation and discuss future orientations. As a proactive and responsible member of ASEAN, Vietnam has effectively contributed to ASEAN cooperation, closely and responsibly coordinated with ASEAN Chair countries, and together with ASEAN maintained the momentum of cooperation, maintaining the central role and position of ASEAN.
Vietnam and Singapore established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2013. The relationship between the two countries is at a particularly good stage, with increasingly consolidated political trust, close economic and investment cooperation, and close people-to-people exchanges, creating a driving force for the two countries to move towards bringing bilateral relations to new heights.
The two countries have regularly exchanged delegations at all levels and effectively implement cooperation mechanisms. The Communist Party of Vietnam has maintained good cooperation with the ruling PAP. Leaders of the two parties have regularly exchanged opinions on experiences in national construction and development.
Singapore is Vietnam’s leading economic partner. Economic cooperation between the two countries has developed strongly and gained many substantial achievements in trade, investment and connectivity. Singapore is currently the leading investor in Vietnam. One of the successful symbols of economic cooperation is the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP). Vietnam currently has 153 investment projects in Singapore. Bilateral trade relations are increasingly vibrant and balanced.
Notably, the Green Economy-Digital Economy Partnership between the two countries continued to open up new prospects, promising strong growth momentum in the coming time. The two sides are promoting cooperation in key and potential areas such as digital transformation, clean energy, carbon credit exchange, cyber security, emerging technologies, etc.
Vietnam and Singapore share stances on regional and international issues, and coordinate with each other at multilateral forums, including the United Nations and ASEAN.
Taking place at a time of special significance in the relations between Vietnam and Indonesia, Singapore and ASEAN cooperation, General Secretary To Lam’s visit is a message affirming Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development; diversification and multilateralisation; continuing to deepen foreign relations; at the same time implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress, which emphasises the priority of developing relations with neighbouring countries and ASEAN; being proactive, active, creating open space, promoting Party foreign affairs channels, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.
The visit affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of always attaching importance to developing ASEAN cooperation and relations with partners in the region, wishing to consolidate and bring the strategic partnership between Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore to a new height.
The activities and exchange results during General Secretary To Lam’s visit are expected to create new momentum for the relationship between Vietnam and ASEAN and the two close countries in ASEAN, enhancing political trust and promoting cooperation in all fields, especially economics, trade and investment.
May the State visit to Indonesia, the official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat and the official visit to Singapore by General Secretary To Lam and his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation a great success, opening a new phase of cooperation, with a new height for the relationship between Vietnam and ASEAN as well as the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia and Singapore, contributing to the cooperation and development of the region and the world.
