Politburo member and Permanent member of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú meets with the Vietnamese Embassy staff and Vietnamese community in Singapore on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

SINGAPORE — Việt Nam wishes to continue working closely with Singapore to jointly overcome the challenges of the times and create sustainable values that bring practical benefits to the two peoples and make positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, Politburo member and Permanent Member of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú has stated.

Tú made the remarks at a ceremony marking Việt Nam’s 81st National Day anniversary (September 2, 1945–2026), hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore on Monday, during his official visit to the city state. During the trip, he will also co-chair the inaugural Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue.

The event was attended by Singaporean Government officials, representatives of ministries, agencies, businesses, the diplomatic corps and international organisations, and the Vietnamese community in Singapore.

In his remarks, Tú reviewed Việt Nam’s 81-year journey of national liberation, construction and development, highlighting the country’s achievements under the leadership of the CPV. He said surmounting countless difficulties and challenges, Việt Nam has become an independent, united, peaceful and stable nation with dynamic development and deep international integration, and is a reliable friend and partner, as well as a responsible member of the international community.

Việt Nam's attainments today are attributable to enormous sacrifices by previous generations, efforts by the entire people, and precious support and assistance from international friends, including the Singaporean Government and people, he noted.

Building on the achievements of 40 years of Đổi mới (renewal), Việt Nam is entering a new era with the two centenary goals and an aspiration to build a strong, civilised, prosperous and happy nation, he said, stressing that it remains steadfast in pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations, and deep, comprehensive and effective international integration.

Throughout that journey, the Việt Nam-Singapore relations have remained a bright spot. Since Việt Nam embarked on its Đổi mới process, Singapore has been one of its key partners accompanying and supporting Việt Nam’s development and international integration, he said.

Bilateral ties have evolved from a Strategic Partnership established in 2013 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, with cooperation unceasingly expanding from traditional to new areas such as clean-energy connectivity, digital transformation, innovation, high technology and green finance.

Recently, the state visit to Singapore by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Tô Lâm made a strong impact both bilaterally and multilaterally, helping to further enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

During that visit, he added, General Secretary and President Lâm and leaders of Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) agreed to establish a strategic dialogue mechanism between the two parties, marking an important step forward and elevating cooperation between the ruling parties of the two countries.

Tú highlighted the first Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Dialogue as an early and concrete step to implement the agreements between the two parties. Together, the two countries have opened a new phase of increasingly substantive and effective cooperation.

For his part, Chan Chun Sing, Assistant Secretary-General of the PAP, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence of Singapore, said Việt Nam has made remarkable strides since regaining independence in 1945, emerging as one of Asia’s most dynamic and resilient economies.

He highlighted Việt Nam’s active engagement in emerging fields such as digital transformation, green energy and industrial modernisation, its important voice in regional and global issues, as well as continued contributions to peace and stability in ASEAN.

He expressed confidence that under the leadership of General Secretary and President Lâm, Việt Nam will realise its vision of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

Chan went on to say that the first Singapore-Việt Nam Strategic Dialogue is a new mechanism for the two sides to exchange views, share experience and explore new methods of cooperation.

2026 marks 30 years of the Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) initiative.

From the first VSIP in former Bình Dương Province, the model has expanded to 27 industrial parks in 16 provinces, attracting more than US$31.5 billion in investment from around 1,000 tenants and creating over 350,000 jobs. These parks have become key hubs for Việt Nam’s industrial and manufacturing sectors while underscoring the depth of economic cooperation between the two countries.

VSIP 2.0, featuring green and smart industrial parks, is now being planned to attract investment in new and emerging fields such as science – technology, innovation and digital engineering – sectors that are crucial to Việt Nam’s future development, the official added.

People-to-people exchanges have continued to grow strongly and steadily at all levels. More than 22,600 Vietnamese officials have participated in Singapore Cooperation Programme exchanges. Besides, talent exchange and leadership programmes have provided further opportunities for experts from the two countries to learn from each other.

He also applauded increasing tourism and aviation links, along with the dynamic and industrious Vietnamese community in Singapore.

As ASEAN members, Việt Nam and Singapore share a strong commitment to regional peace and stability and will continue close coordination to uphold ASEAN’s central role, shape an inclusive and rules-based regional architecture, and address transnational challenges such as cybercrime and drug trafficking.

Singapore will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship while Việt Nam will chair APEC in 2027. The two sides will continue to work closely to advance regional interests, promote economic integration, and maintain security in Southeast Asia and the wider region, according to Chan.

At the event, musical performances showcasing the distinctive features of Vietnamese culture also helped international friends, particularly Singaporeans, gain a deeper understanding of Việt Nam and its people, providing momentum for their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to grow further and deliver more substantive results. — VNA/VNS