Joint Statement on Upgrading the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Singapore

General Secretary To Lam and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speak to the press. (Photo: VNA)

1. At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Singapore, General Secretary of the People's Action Party Lawrence Wong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and his wife paid an official visit to Singapore from March 11 to 13, 2025.

2. The two leaders agreed that the establishment of the Strategic Partnership (2013) and the Green Economy -Digital Economy Partnership (2023) has deepened and deepened the Vietnam-Singapore cooperation relationship. The two leaders decided to upgrade the Vietnam-Singapore relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

3. The two sides pledged to continue to consolidate and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation, political trust, and coordinate to resolve current common challenges on the basis of respect for international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each country, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, thereby bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries as well as for a united, self-reliant ASEAN with a central and inclusive role, striving for peace, stability and development of the region and the world.

4. The two sides agreed to upgrade relations, focusing on the following main contents:

(i) Promote cooperation for world peace, security and stability: Increase exchanges and contacts at high and all levels through all channels; promote cooperation through Party channels to enhance trust and consolidate the political foundation for bilateral relations; study the establishment of a regular Party channel dialogue mechanism; effectively maintain the mechanism of Annual Meetings between the two Prime Ministers; promote defense and security cooperation in mutually beneficial areas, including through the Policy Dialogue at the level of Deputy Ministers of National Defense and the annual meeting mechanism at the level of Deputy Ministers of Public Security; enhance exchanges between sea, land and air forces; education and training; cooperation in humanitarian aid and disaster relief; military medical cooperation; support each other in preventing and combating transnational crimes including drug crimes, fraud, high-tech crimes, cyber crimes, terrorism, anti-money laundering, through the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (signed in October 2024); continue to support each other at bilateral, regional and international forums on anti-fraud, including the development of ASEAN Guidelines on anti-fraud policies and practices; share information and coordinate to ensure maritime safety and security.

(ii) Strengthening economic cooperation and promoting mutually beneficial areas of cooperation: through effectively implementing the cooperation pillars of the Vietnam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Framework Agreement (upgraded in 2023) to support joint cooperation projects, such as developing innovative, low-carbon, sustainable Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP); cooperation in ensuring food security, including restoring food supply chains; promoting bilateral QR code payments between Vietnam and Singapore; encouraging capital market cooperation initiatives, including initiatives to connect stock markets, link bilateral Depository Receipts and cooperate in the field of intellectual property; exchanging experiences in developing the financial sector, including supporting Vietnam's efforts in building and operating an International Financial Center; enhancing aviation connectivity through expanding the Bilateral Aviation Agreement; enhancing cooperation in addressing regional and global health issues; encourage cooperation in infrastructure development, including solutions to meet urban needs; further deepen legal and judicial cooperation; Singapore supports Vietnam in developing seaport and maritime infrastructure through digital transformation and operational innovation.

(iii) Strengthening cooperation in energy and green growth: through effectively promoting the Green Economy - Digital Economy Partnership (signed in 2023), creating a premise for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy connectivity, sustainability, infrastructure, digital and innovation, with the common goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050; exchanging and sharing experiences in developing smart, sustainable cities; facilitating regulatory approval for cross-border electricity trading, starting with cooperation in exporting offshore wind power from Vietnam to Singapore; developing and transforming electricity transmission infrastructure as well as financial mechanisms towards building an ASEAN power grid; cooperating on carbon credits in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

(iv) Capacity building and people-to-people connectivity: through enhanced cooperation in talent development, especially at the strategic level; exchange of experts and students, including cooperation between schools and higher education institutions in areas of mutual interest such as integrated circuit design, semiconductor technology, Industry 4.0 skills, new technology, nursing medical research; enhanced technical and vocational training, implementation of the Singapore-Vietnam Innovation Talent Exchange Programme; enhanced cooperation in the fields of culture, arts and sports; promoted tourist arrivals and further enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

(v) Strengthen cooperation in digital and emerging technologies: Strengthen cooperation in digital connectivity, cross-border data flows, establish “data sandboxes” in VSIPs and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity; strengthen cooperation on submarine cables in the region, through the development of enhanced ASEAN Guidelines on submarine cable resilience and repair; promote consumer and business confidence in the digital economy including promoting data-driven innovation, encouraging responsible use and transmission of data through the application of regional guidelines and frameworks such as the ASEAN Model Contract Clauses (on cross-border data exchange) and the ASEAN Guidelines on Governance and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.

( vi) Strengthen cooperation in regional and international forums: proactively coordinate and support each other in multilateral forums, especially ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), and inter-parliamentary forums; promote ASEAN unity and centrality, as well as efforts to build the ASEAN Community, including the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and Strategic Plans; strengthen ASEAN's central role in the regional structure; support sub-regional cooperation and connectivity in ASEAN, including the Mekong sub-region, and the ASEAN Community building process, thereby contributing to narrowing the development gap and comprehensive development of ASEAN.

5. To implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two leaders agreed to assign the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with relevant Ministries/sectors to develop an Action Plan to implement the above-mentioned pillars.

6. Discussing the new developments in the East Sea, the leaders reaffirmed ASEAN's consistent stance on the East Sea as well as the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. The two sides stressed the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes, including full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

7. The two leaders reaffirmed the need to continue enhancing political trust, calling on all parties concerned to resolve disputes on the basis of international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, to exercise self-restraint in conducting activities that may escalate tensions, affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation; called for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); emphasized the need to maintain and promote a favorable environment for negotiations on an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS 1982. The two sides reaffirmed UNCLOS 1982 as the legal framework for all activities at sea and in the ocean, and as a basis of strategic importance for cooperation activities at the national, regional and global levels, and the integrity of UNCLOS 1982.

8. General Secretary To Lam sincerely thanked the Government and people of Singapore for the warm welcome given to the delegation. General Secretary To Lam respectfully invited Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to visit Vietnam at a convenient time. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong happily accepted the invitation.

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tuyen-bo-chung-ve-viec-nang-cap-quan-he-doi-tac-chien-luoc-toan-dien-giua-viet-nam-va-singapore-post864631.html