Politburo Member and Standing Member of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú (left) and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuessday — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Politburo Member and Permanent Member of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú’s official visit to Singapore and co-chairing of the first Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue from August 24-25 was a great success, achieving the set targets with concrete outcomes, said Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung.

Speaking to the press, Trung said it is clear that the Singapore Government and the People’s Action Party (PAP) attach particular importance to the visit and the Strategic Dialogue mechanism between the two Parties.

Tú’s substantive and extensive agenda included talks, meetings and in-depth exchanges with the highest-ranking leaders of the Singaporean Government and the PAP, including President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister and PAP Secretary-General Lawrence Wong, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, PAP Chairman Desmond Lee; Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, as well as a tour to observe PAP grassroots operations.

He said Tú and the Singaporean leaders held open and frank discussions on bilateral cooperation and ties between the two Parties, reaching consensus on a number of important orientations to further foster Việt Nam-Singapore collaboration. The two sides underscored the need to follow through on prior high-level commitments and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the benefit of their people, as well as for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Moreover, the Việt Nam–Singapore Strategic Dialogue, the CPV’s first such mechanism with a foreign political party, was co-chaired by the key Vietnamese leader and PAP Assistant Secretary-General and ran effectively and substantively.

The dialogue was an early, concrete step to realise high-level agreements reached during General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Tô Lâm’s May visit, reflecting his action-first approach. It thus deepens Party-to-Party ties, sets overall direction for bilateral ties in key and strategic areas, and lays the groundwork for deepening comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

Both sides discussed strategic issues of mutual concern, including workforce training and technology connectivity, while highlighting the importance of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and political trust. They agreed to adopt the Conclusions of the first Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, setting overall direction and specific cooperation projects.

The second dialogue is slated for Việt Nam in 2027. The mechanism creates a direct, regular channel for leaders to share views on strategic and urgent issues. Trung said that with these important outcomes, the visit made an effective contribution to fostering close ties between the two Parties and countries, providing a solid political foundation for a more substantive Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Citing shared recognition of workforce quality as key to rapid and sustainable growth, he said both sides agreed to maintain and upgrade personnel training cooperation, with a detailed plan for 2027-2029, making it a pillar of the relationship.

Notably, for the first time, they issued a Joint Statement on Technology Connectivity Strategy, focusing on co-creation, joint research, and co-development to build an innovation ecosystem; enhancing connectivity in strategic technologies, digital transformation, and digital economy; and connecting research centres, companies, universities, and innovation players.

The move cements science, technology, and innovation as a key pillar of bilateral ties and signals leaders’ intent to position Việt Nam and Singapore as premier strategic tech partners in Southeast Asia.

Trung said building on the important outcomes achieved during the visit, the two sides should closely coordinate their efforts, with relevant Vietnamese agencies taking a proactive, action-oriented approach to translate the plans into concrete results at the earliest opportunity.

In his view, an early and effective action plan for 2027-2029 personnel training is needed. He urged deeper knowledge sharing, especially on Singapore’s model for an international-standard public policy school, to build a quality workforce for Việt Nam’s next development phase.

The two sides should deploy a State-business-research institute linkage model in key areas, including data economy, semiconductors, biotechnology, digital government, digital health, AI, and Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks. Cooperation should shift toward higher-value, knowledge-intensive sectors that match Việt Nam’s development needs and Singapore’s strengths.

The wider goal is a joint innovation ecosystem where partners co-research, co-develop, and co-produce new technologies, products, services, and business models, not just exchange technology but create shared value.

To convert outcomes into real benefits, coordinated engagement across ministries, localities, and business communities is critical. They must fully embrace the leaders’ shared perceptions and turn agreed priorities into specific projects with clear goals, timelines, and accountability, with measurable results and citizen and business interests as benchmarks.

On the back of high political trust and economic complementarity, the minister said Vietnamese and Singaporean agencies, localities, and companies are expected to develop new cooperation models, products, and values that deliver practical benefits to both countries. — VNA/VNS