Party chief holds phone talks with Singapore's ruling party leader

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam talked over the phone with Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong on January 30, suggesting a Party-to-Party dialogue mechanism be set up soon as a measure for enhancing bilateral ties.

During the talks, General Secretary Lam expressed his pleasure at speaking with PAP Secretary-General Wong shortly after the successful 14th National Congress of the CPV.

On behalf of the CPV Central Committee, he thanked the PAP and Secretary-General Wong personally for their congratulatory messages to the Congress as well as to Vietnam’s leaders. He also conveyed regards and best wishes to Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and other leaders of the city state, while recalling with deep impression his official visit to Singapore in 2025.

For his part, Secretary-General and PM Wong congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress and extended his congratulations to General Secretary Lam on his election by the 14th Party Central Committee. He expressed admiration for Vietnam’s achievements under the leadership of the CPV and affirmed that Singapore always treasures and wishes to further strengthen the two countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

General Secretary Lam underscored that the 14th National Party Congress successfully reviewed the tenure of the 13th Congress, which recorded notable results, drew valuable lessons from previous congresses, and comprehensively assessed 40 years of Doi moi (renewal). It set objectives and tasks for the next five years, along with strategic orientations for the future and destiny of the nation, with the determination to build a powerful and prosperous Vietnam with a rich people, and make it a strong, democratic, equitable, and civilised country. A consistent guiding principle is to place the people at the centre and as the key stakeholder, objective, driving force and resource of development.

The CPV attaches special importance to building and rectifying the Party and political system, streamlining the organisational apparatus towards greater efficiency and effectiveness, and resolutely preventing and combating corruption and negative phenomena. The Congress also identified a new growth model driven by the knowledge-based economy, digital economy, green economy and circular economy, with the dynamism and roles of economic sectors promoted, according to the CPV leader.

General Secretary Lam highly valued the Vietnam – Singapore relationship over the past more than 50 years, especially since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025. High-level exchanges have been maintained regularly while economic cooperation remains a bright spot, with Singapore continuing to be the leading ASEAN investor and the second largest worldwide in Vietnam, with 4,400 projects worth about 90 billion USD.

He proposed Singapore continue to support Vietnam in training officials and share experience in socio-economic policymaking. He noted that high-level agreements have been actively implemented, including the timely adoption of the action plan for implementing the Vietnam – Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2025.

Amid a complicated international context, General Secretary Lam suggested the two sides strengthen ASEAN cooperation, enhance political trust through high-level contacts, implement the 2025–2030 action plan, soon establish a Party-to-Party dialogue mechanism, and expand collaboration in high technology, renewable energy, VSIP 2.0 development and carbon credit exchanges.

They should also promote defence – security cooperation, combat transnational crimes, support the building of Vietnam's national data centre, boost cultural and tourism exchanges, uphold the ASEAN centrality, and coordinate closely in 2027 when Singapore chairs ASEAN and Vietnam hosts APEC. In addition, it is also necessary to step up negotiations on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), he added.

Agreeing with the Vietnamese leader's assessments and proposals, Secretary-General and PM Wong affirmed that his country treasures the relationship with Vietnam and is ready to carry out the cooperation issues already agreed upon. He emphasised the hope to increase high-level exchanges, as well as cooperation in economy, defence – security, and other areas, thereby contributing to regional peace, stability, and development.

He said Singapore plans to increase the total number of Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) in Vietnam to 30 in 2026, marking the 30th anniversary of this successful project's presence in Vietnam.

He also expressed firm belief that with the determination and efforts by the leaders and people of both countries, the Vietnam – Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop strongly and more substantively in the future, for the benefit of both countries, and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world./.