Party General Secretary Tô Lâm holds a telephone conversation with the Secretary-General of the People's Action Party of Singapore and Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Tô Lâm talked over the phone with Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, on Friday, suggesting a Party-to-Party dialogue mechanism be set up soon as a measure for enhancing bilateral ties.

During the talks, Party General Secretary Lâm expressed his pleasure at speaking with PAP Secretary-General Wong shortly after the successful 14th National Congress of the CPV.

On behalf of the CPV Central Committee, he thanked the PAP and Secretary-General Wong personally for their congratulatory messages to the Congress as well as to Việt Nam’s leaders.

He also conveyed regards and best wishes to Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and other leaders of the city state, while recalling with deep impression his official visit to Singapore in 2025.

For his part, Secretary-General and PM Wong congratulated Việt Nam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress and extended his congratulations to Party General Secretary Lâm on his election by the 14th Party Central Committee.

He expressed admiration for Việt Nam’s achievements under the leadership of the CPV and affirmed that Singapore always treasures and wishes to further strengthen the two countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Party General Secretary Lâm underscored that the 14th National Party Congress successfully reviewed the tenure of the 13th Congress, which recorded notable results, drew valuable lessons from previous congresses, and comprehensively assessed 40 years of Đổi mới (renewal).

It set objectives and tasks for the next five years, along with strategic orientations for the future and destiny of the nation, with the determination to build a powerful and prosperous Việt Nam with a rich people, and make it a strong, democratic, equitable, and civilised country.

A consistent guiding principle is to place the people at the centre and as the key stakeholder, objective, driving force, and resource of development.

The CPV attaches special importance to building and rectifying the Party and the political system, streamlining the organisational apparatus towards greater efficiency and effectiveness, and resolutely preventing and combating corruption and negative practices.

The congress also identified a new growth model driven by the knowledge-based economy, digital economy, green economy, and circular economy, with the dynamism and roles of economic sectors promoted, according to the CPV leader.

Party General Secretary Lâm highly valued the Việt Nam–Singapore relationship over the past more than 50 years, especially since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.

High-level exchanges have been maintained regularly while economic cooperation remains a bright spot, with Singapore continuing to be the leading ASEAN investor and the second largest worldwide in Việt Nam, with 4,400 projects worth about US$90 billion.

The Party chief proposed Singapore continue to support Việt Nam in training officials and share experience in socio-economic policymaking.

He noted that high-level agreements have been actively implemented, including the timely adoption of the action plan for implementing the Việt Nam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2025.

Amid a complicated international context, Party General Secretary Lâm suggested the two sides strengthen ASEAN cooperation, enhance political trust through high-level contacts, implement the 2025-30 action plan, soon establish a Party-to-Party dialogue mechanism, and expand collaboration in high technology, renewable energy, VSIP 2.0 development, and carbon credit exchanges.

They should also promote defence-security cooperation, combat transnational crimes, support the building of Việt Nam's national data centre, boost cultural and tourism exchanges, uphold the ASEAN centrality, and coordinate closely in 2027 when Singapore chairs ASEAN and Việt Nam hosts APEC.

In addition, it is also necessary to step up negotiations on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), he added.

Agreeing with the Vietnamese leader's assessments and proposals, Secretary-General and PM Wong affirmed that his country treasures the relationship with Việt Nam and is ready to carry out the cooperation issues already agreed upon.

He emphasised the hope to increase high-level exchanges, as well as cooperation in economy, defence–security, and other areas, thereby contributing to regional peace, stability, and development.

He said Singapore plans to increase the total number of Việt Nam–Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) in Việt Nam to 30 in 2026, marking the 30th anniversary of this successful project's presence in Việt Nam.

He also expressed firm belief that with the determination and efforts by the leaders and people of both countries, the Việt Nam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to develop strongly and more substantively in the future, for the benefit of both countries, and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. — VNA/VNS