SINGAPORE – Vietnamese President To Lam arrives in Singapore on May 28 for a state visit as part of his first tour of Asean countries since becoming head of state. The four-day visit at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam affirms the strong and multi-faceted relationship between Singapore and Vietnam, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. The two countries had upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025, during Mr Lam’s official visit to Singapore as the general secretary
of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In 2025, Vietnam was Singapore’s 10th largest trading partner with bilateral trade in goods reaching S$40 billion, and in 2024, Singapore was Vietnam’s largest investor with foreign direct investment of nearly US$10.2 billion. Mr Lam will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 29. He will then call on Mr Tharman. Mr Tharman and his wife Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam will host a state banquet in the afternoon in honour of Mr Lam and
First Lady Madam Ngo Phuong Ly. He will also meet Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on May 29. The two leaders will plant a Hopea recopei tree at a tree-planting ceremony on May 30, with the evergreen tree species native to Vietnam and South-east Asia symbolising the deep roots and flourishing relationship between both countries. Mr Lam is slated to give the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 29, his first address on Vietnam’s foreign policy to an international audience since
being elected President in April 2026. During his visit, Mr Lam will also attend the Vietnam-Singapore Tech Connect Initiative, organised jointly by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Science and Technology, and Singapore’s MFA to promote cooperation in science, technology, innovations and digital transformation. Singapore and Vietnam are working towards the next iteration of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks, or VSIP 2.0, which will focus on integrated smart technology, as well as sustainable and green systems to attract higher-value investments. The VSIPs are a
joint venture between Sembcorp and Vietnam state-owned Becamex, and there are currently 22 such industrial parks located across 15 provinces in Vietnam. On May 30, Mr Lam will be hosted to lunch by PM Wong and dinner by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng will also call on Mr Lam that day. Accompanying Mr Lam are First Lady Madam Ngo Phuong Ly as well as ministers and senior officials from Vietnam.
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