General Secretary To Lam and his spouse will pay a state visit to Indonesia, conduct an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat, and make an official visit to Singapore from March 9 to 13, 2025.

The visits are made at the invitation of Indonesian President and Great Indonesia Movement Party Chairman Prabowo Subianto, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, and Singaporean Prime Minister and People’s Action Party Secretary-General Lawrence Wong.

This will be General Secretary To Lam’s first international trip of 2025.

Vietnam and Indonesia share a long-standing relationship. Seventy years ago, Indonesia became the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

The two nations became Comprehensive Partners in 2003 and Strategic Partners in 2013. Vietnam is Indonesia’s only Strategic Partner in Southeast Asia, reflecting the depth of their bilateral cooperation.

Over the past seven decades, despite global and regional shifts, Vietnam and Indonesia have remained trusted friends and key partners.

Indonesia is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner in ASEAN, while Vietnam ranks as Indonesia’s fourth-largest trade partner in the region. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $16.7 billion, based on preliminary figures.

Indonesia currently has 123 active investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of $682 million. Vietnamese businesses have also increased their investments in Indonesia in recent years.

Defense and security cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened, contributing to regional peace and stability. Other areas of collaboration, such as education, culture, agriculture, energy, and justice, are also being actively promoted.

Vietnam and Indonesia share common interests in regional integration and closely coordinate within ASEAN and other international forums.

Vietnam and Singapore established diplomatic relations in 1973. Over the past 50 years, particularly in the Strategic Partnership framework since 2013, the two nations have made significant progress in their bilateral ties.

During a phone call with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in December 2024, General Secretary To Lam reaffirmed Vietnam’s strong commitment to deepening its Strategic Partnership with Singapore in a substantive and effective manner.

Singapore is the largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam and ranks second among 147 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Currently, Singapore has 3,915 active investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital exceeding $83 billion, primarily in manufacturing, real estate, and energy sectors.

In 2022 and 2023, Vietnam and Singapore signed multiple agreements on digital partnership, green economy cooperation, renewable energy development, and carbon credit trading. Education and human resource training remain key highlights of their bilateral cooperation.

Both sides have agreed to work towards upgrading their Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at an appropriate time.

Vietnam officially joined ASEAN on July 28, 1995, becoming the seventh member of the bloc. Initially cautious, Vietnam has since played an active and responsible role in ASEAN, contributing significantly to its growth and development.

Vietnam continues to view ASEAN as a top priority in its foreign policy and a core pillar in its multilateral diplomacy strategy. Recently, Vietnam successfully hosted the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 in Hanoi, reaffirming its commitment to regional cooperation and leadership.

Tran Thuong