General Secretary and President To Lam, accompanied by his spouse, will undertake a state visit to Singapore from 29/5 to 31/5, at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse. During the visit, he is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-la Dialogue on 29/5, following an invitation from Bastian Giegerich, Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a press release today.

General Secretary, President To Lam. Photo: VNA

The Shangri-la Dialogue, established in 2002 by the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), stands as the Asia-Pacific region's premier security and defense forum. It convenes numerous heads of state, defense leaders, and security officials from across the region and globally.

This forum provides a platform for sharing visions and discussing strategic issues, fostering trust and strategic cooperation. It also offers diverse national perspectives on security and defense. The keynote address is a central feature of the Shangri-la Dialogue's program, annually defining the event's theme and focus.

This occasion marks the first time a Vietnamese General Secretary and President will deliver a keynote address at the region's leading multilateral security forum. The IISS's invitation underscores Vietnam's highly regarded, important, and responsible role in regional and international affairs.

General Secretary and President To Lam's visit to Singapore follows more than a year after a previous General Secretary's visit to the island nation and the Singaporean Prime Minister's visit to Vietnam. The two sides seek to strengthen trust and close bonds between their high-level leaders, fostering robust bilateral cooperation.

Relations between Vietnam and Singapore significantly strengthened after Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995. The two nations established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2025.

Singapore stands as one of Vietnam's foremost economic partners, particularly in investment, trade, and connectivity, while also actively supporting human resource training. Furthermore, it leads ASEAN cooperation in emerging fields such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green transformation.

By Thanh Tam