President Tharman, PM Wong congratulate Vietnam leaders on their election
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (right) and Vietnamese President To Lam meeting at Parliament House on March 12, 2025.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
SINGAPORE – Singapore leaders have sent their congratulations to their Vietnamese counterparts, President To Lam and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, on being elected at the polls earlier this week.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in his letter on April 10 to Mr Lam, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, said Singapore values its robust and longstanding ties with Vietnam.
Singapore-Vietnam ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Mr Lam’s visit to Singapore in March 2025, Mr Tharman noted.
The partnership is an upgrade of Singapore and Vietnam’s Strategic Partnership established in 2013 and builds on the Green-Digital Economic Partnership set up in 2023.
Both countries share strong interests in stepping up cooperation in the green and digital economies, Mr Tharman said, adding that this would bring significant opportunities for both countries.
“Our cooperation areas also align with the ambitious vision for Vietnam which you have outlined at the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January 2026.
“I look forward to working closely with you to strengthen our ties bilaterally and at the regional and international level,” he added in his letter to Mr Lam.
President Tharman also invited Mr Lam to make a state visit to Singapore.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in his congratulatory letter to Mr Hung the same day, said bilateral ties between the two countries have been close and longstanding due to close cooperation, strong economic linkages and a shared vision for stability and prosperity in the region and internationally.
PM Wong said both countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Plan of Action set out a road map for deepening cooperation in practical and forward-looking areas such as renewable energy, carbon credits and the digital economy.
“These collaborations will generate new investments and jobs in our respective economies, as well as serve as a foundation towards building a more integrated and resilient South-east Asia,” he said.
He added that both sides should continue to build on their annual leaders’ meeting to provide guidance in following up on the various areas of bilateral cooperation.
PM Wong also said Vietnam continues to enjoy strong and broad-based growth despite the challenging international environment.
“This is a testament to the dynamism and resilience of the Vietnamese people, as well as the vision and stewardship of its leaders.
“I am confident that Vietnam will continue to make substantive progress in achieving its long-term goals.”
PM Wong added that he is looking forward to working closely with Mr Hung as Singapore chairs ASEAN and Vietnam hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2027.
