Toast Speech by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the State Banquet in Honour of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam

Your Excellency To Lam

Madam Ngo Phuong Ly

Excellencies, distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

1.  A very warm welcome to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam To Lam, and Madam Ly. My wife and I are delighted to welcome you to Singapore again. 

2. We are especially honoured that you have chosen to make this State Visit to Singapore so early in your Presidency.

3. It reflects, I believe, the close partnership that Singapore and Vietnam have built up over more than five decades.

4. On the surface, Singapore and Vietnam differ in size, history, and political traditions. But in several fundamental respects, our experiences and outlooks have much in common.

5. First, we both recognised early that human capital would be decisive to our future. Investing in education, skills, and opportunities for our people has been central to our development and social progress. The World Bank has assessed Vietnam’s performance in developing human capital to be among the top in its income group globally, and above the average for the whole East Asian region.

6. Secondly, we have each embraced openness to the world. Singapore and Vietnam integrated ourselves into regional and global markets, welcomed trade and investment, and built our economies through connections to the world.

7. Third, we have both prioritised continual renewal. From industrial upgrading to digital transformation and the green transition, our countries have sought to adapt to changing circumstances while creating new opportunities for future generations.

8. These shared instincts have created a natural basis for partnership between Singapore and Vietnam — one grounded in pragmatism, mutual respect, and a common stake in a stable, open, and prosperous Southeast Asia and global economy.

9. Our leaders in each generation made deliberate choices to invest in this friendship.

   1. It began a new phase with the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s visit to Vietnam in 1992, followed by then-General Secretary Do Muoi’s visit to Singapore in 1993. Successive generations of leaders have since carried the relationship forward – broadening economic cooperation, working together in ASEAN, anchoring our partnership in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks, and giving it fuller strategic direction through the Strategic Partnership established in 2013.

10. And last March, during President Lam’s official visit to Singapore as General Secretary, we took a further step by elevating our ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – the first such partnership Singapore forged with an ASEAN member.

11. Our economic cooperation is a key pillar in our bilateral relationship.

    1. Singapore has consistently been one of the top investors in Vietnam, and was indeed its top foreign investor last year.

    2. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks, or VSIPs, have become the anchor in our economic partnership. We now have 22 VSIPs across 15 provinces in Vietnam, which create good jobs and attract high value investments. We commemorate the 30^th anniversary of VSIPs this year.

12. I am also heartened by how our people are connecting through everyday life – through work and study, and culture.

    1. More than 25,000 Vietnamese live, work and study in Singapore.

    2. Singaporeans are becoming more familiar with Vietnam through food, culture and travel. Vietnamese cuisine like pho and banh mi are a very familiar part of the Singapore’s dining scene.

       1. Singaporeans have also discovered Vietnamese coffee. It is strong, syrupy, and not designed for those who plan to sleep early – and may perhaps explain the energy and enterprise of your people.

       2. Some Vietnamese in Singapore, too, have made a name for themselves by specialising in our local favourites like Hokkien mee and appam. I’m tempted to suggest that we explore the possibility of a Hokkien pho, which could integrate the rice noodles and fresh herbs of Vietnamese pho with the seafood stock and prawn and squid of Hokkien mee.

       3. Good air connectivity has also made it easier for tourism and doing business.

    3. No less important, we cooperate closely in human capital development. Vietnam is the top partner of Singapore’s Cooperation Programme, with more than 22,000 Vietnamese participants over the last three decades.

    4. We have tailored these training courses to suit Vietnam’s needs as it enters its next stage of growth.

    5. Through these exchanges, both sides have learnt from each other, and built friendships that will support our continued partnership.

Your Excellencies,

13. We have achieved much together. But we will do more with each other.

    1. Under President Lam’s leadership and vision of a “new era of national rise”, Vietnam has become one of the world’s most dynamic economies. 

    2. Singapore will be a friend and reliable partner to Vietnam in its new era of growth. Among other areas, we are working together to develop VSIP 2.0s, with a focus on smart, sustainable and green industries.

    3. We will deepen cooperation in new areas such as renewable energy, carbon credits, subsea cable connectivity, agri-food, advanced manufacturing and the digital economy.

    4. We also hope to enhance air connectivity to boost trade flows and enhance supply chain resilience.

    5. A high-level platform – the Singapore-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue – will soon be established to promote high level discussions on governance, public administration and transformation. 

14. Your Excellency, we meet at a time when the world is being reshaped. For countries like Singapore and Vietnam, these shifts are not abstract. They affect our livelihoods, our security, and the prospects for our next generation. It matters, therefore, that Singapore and Vietnam both share similar strategic outlooks.

    1. We are both committed to upholding ASEAN Centrality, and supporting rules-based multilateralism in a more volatile and uncertain world.

    2. Vietnam will be APEC Chairman in 2027, and Singapore will be ASEAN Chair the same year. This presents opportunities for us to work together to strengthen regional resilience.

    3. I am confident that the Singapore-Vietnam partnership will continue to flourish.

    4. And I hope President Lam will continue to be a strong advocate for our bilateral partnership.

15. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, may I now invite you to join me in a toast:

    1. To the continued good health and success of President Lam and Madam Ly;

    2. To the peace, progress and prosperity of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and its citizens; and

    3. To the enduring friendship and strong bonds between Singapore and Vietnam.  Chúc hạnh phúc và thành công.