Vietnam’s top leader to visit Singapore, address Shangri-La Dialogue this week

The upcoming state visit, at the invitation of Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, comes as bilateral ties continue to strengthen across multiple sectors.

The Vietnamese leader is also scheduled to attend and deliver a keynote address at the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue on May 29 at the invitation of Bastian Giegerich, director-general and chief executive of the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which organizes the annual forum.

The upcoming trip will be Party General Secretary and State President Lam’s first state visit to Singapore in his capacity as head of the Party and the state.

In March 2025, in his role as Party general secretary, the Vietnamese leader paid an official visit to Singapore, during which the two countries formally elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The upgrade marked a major milestone, opening a new chapter in Vietnam-Singapore relations after more than five decades of diplomatic ties.

Singapore is currently the largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam, with the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park model widely regarded as a symbol of practical and successful cooperation between the two countries.

The city-state also became the first country to establish a digital economy-green economy partnership with Vietnam in 2023.

The initiative has helped steer bilateral cooperation toward emerging sectors with strong growth potential, including the digital economy, green and circular economies, innovation, clean energy, and climate change response.

Education and workforce training remain a key pillar of bilateral cooperation, while cooperation in defense and security, transportation, and tourism has also continued to develop steadily.

In addition to the state visit, the Vietnamese leader’s appearance at the Shangri-La Dialogue will mark the first time a Vietnamese Party general secretary and state president has delivered a keynote address at one of Asia’s leading defense and security forums.

The IISS traditionally reserves the keynote speech, the opening and most important address of the event, for leaders and heads of state with growing influence and voices in regional peace, security, and development.

According to the IISS website, Giegerich said the Vietnamese leader assumed Vietnam’s presidency during a period of major global turbulence whose effects continue to be felt across the Asia-Pacific region.

“In his first weeks in office, he committed to sharing Vietnam’s perspectives as an emerging nation and engaging with leading defense policymakers around the world,” Giegerich noted.

“We are honored that he has chosen the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue as the platform to do so."

This year’s dialogue is expected to draw more than 550 delegates from defense and security agencies representing over 40 countries.