HCMC – Party General Secretary To Lam today held telephone conversations with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Secretary-General of Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to discuss ways to deepen ties.
Vietnam, South Korea look to US$150 billion in bilateral trade by 2030
Party General Secretary To Lam made the phone call with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the afternoon of January 30 at the headquarters of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the call, President Lee congratulated the Communist Party of Vietnam on the successful conclusion of its 14th National Congress and on To Lam’s re-election as Party General Secretary.
He expressed confidence that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam would continue to achieve its strategic development goals, including the target of attaining double-digit economic growth in the coming years.
President Lee noted that South Korea attaches great importance to its relationship with Vietnam, regarding the country as a priority and core partner in Seoul’s foreign policy toward the region.
He also pledged to continue working closely with General Secretary To Lam to further strengthen bilateral relations in a more substantive, effective and dynamic manner in the time ahead.
For his part, General Secretary To Lam thanked the South Korean leadership for promptly sending congratulatory messages to the 14th National Party Congress.
He reiterated that Vietnam consistently views South Korea as one of its top-priority partners in its foreign policy, affirming that Vietnam will remain a reliable, stable and responsible partner of the international community and will work closely with South Korea to effectively implement existing agreements.
Both sides agreed to further consolidate political trust as a solid foundation for strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, through intensified exchanges of high-level and other delegations, expanded cooperation in defense and security, and the implementation of projects in defense industry, trade and military cooperation.
They underscored efforts to create breakthroughs in economic cooperation, the central pillar of bilateral ties, encouraging South Korean firms to expand investment in Vietnam, particularly in semiconductors, high-tech electronics manufacturing, and the development of specialized industrial complexes along value chains led by South Korean conglomerates.
The two sides also agreed to facilitate trade, further open markets to each other’s goods, and strive to reach the target of US$150 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. They pledged to strengthen cooperation in science and technology — a newly emerging pillar of bilateral relations — while expanding cooperation in culture, tourism and local-level exchanges, and further deepening people-to-people ties.
On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam extended an invitation to President Lee Jae Myung to visit Vietnam at an early date.
Singapore to build more VSIPs in Vietnam
At the headquarters of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee on the afternoon of January 30, Party General Secretary To Lam held a telephone conversation with Secretary-General of Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
General Secretary To Lam said he was pleased to speak with PAP Secretary-General Lawrence Wong shortly after the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress and on To Lam’s re-election as General Secretary of the Party Central Committee.
He reaffirmed that Singapore consistently values its relationship with Vietnam and is keen to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
General Secretary To Lam noted that the recent National Party Congress established a new growth model based on the knowledge economy, digital economy, green economy and circular economy, while promoting dynamism across economic sectors.
Lam spoke highly of Vietnam–Singapore relations over more than 50 years, particularly since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.
He noted that high-level contacts have been maintained regularly and that economic cooperation remains a bright spot, with Singapore continuing to be the leading ASEAN investor — and the second-largest globally — in Vietnam, with 4,400 projects worth about US$90 billion. He called on Singapore to continue supporting Vietnam in personnel training and policy experience-sharing.
Both sides noted the active implementation of high-level agreements, including the timely adoption of the Action Program for the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2025, which sets out directions for key areas of cooperation in the coming period.
Against a complex international backdrop, General Secretary To Lam proposed closer cooperation within ASEAN, further strengthening political trust through high-level engagement, effective implementation of the 2025–2030 Action Program, early establishment of inter-party dialogue mechanisms, and deeper economic cooperation in areas such as high technology, renewable energy, VSIP 2.0 development, and carbon credit exchanges.
He also called for stronger defense and security cooperation, joint efforts to combat transnational crime, support for the development of Vietnam’s National Data Center, expanded cooperation in culture and tourism, and coordination to uphold ASEAN centrality — particularly in 2027, when Singapore will chair ASEAN and Vietnam will host APEC — as well as efforts to advance substantive and effective negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed strong agreement with General Secretary To Lam’s assessments and proposals, reaffirming that Singapore attaches great importance to relations with Vietnam and stands ready to implement agreed areas of cooperation. He emphasized the importance of enhanced high-level exchanges and deeper cooperation in economic, defense and security fields, contributing to regional peace, stability and development.
He also said Singapore plans to increase the total number of Vietnam–Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) in Vietnam to 30 by 2026, marking the 30th anniversary of the project’s presence in the country. He expressed confidence that, with the shared determination and efforts of both countries’ leaders and peoples, the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to grow in a more substantive and effective manner in the years ahead, for the benefit of both nations and for regional and global peace and development.
