Vietnam News Today (May 31): Vietnam, Australia foster Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

	Vietnam News Today (May 26): VSIP Projects Highlight Growing Vietnam–Singapore Partnership
	Vietnam News Today (May 27): Vietnam, US Foster Deeper, More Substantive Legislative Ties

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam (R) meets with Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng. (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese leader meets Singaporean Parliament Speaker

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam met with Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng on May 30, as part of his state visit to the country.

Speaker Seah affirmed that Singapore highly values Vietnam’s role and standing in the region and on the international stage.

He congratulated the guest leader on his re-election as Party chief and his election as President of Vietnam.

The Singaporean leader also praised General Secretary and President Lam’s keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, noting it reflects shared views and aspirations.

He said that economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries has grown strongly in recent years, helping further strengthen bilateral relations. He noted that many Singaporean businesses are eager to invest and operate in Vietnam, particularly in logistics and e-commerce.

For his part, General Secretary and President Lam conveyed regards from Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man to the Singaporean parliamentary leader.

He congratulated Singapore on its remarkable development achievements and appreciated the role and contributions of the Parliament and Speaker in building an effective system of governance, providing a solid foundation for the country's stable development over the past 60 years.

The two leaders described Vietnam-Singapore relations as a model within ASEAN and expressed satisfaction with the significant achievements recorded in the bilateral ties, including cooperation between their legislative bodies.

They noted that although Vietnam and Singapore only elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025, they have witnessed remarkable progress across all sectors and at all levels in a relatively short period of time. Such developments, they said, vividly reflect their enduring and warm relationship, as well as their shared values and aspirations.

The leaders also emphasised that the many similarities between the two countries provide a strong foundation for expanding collaboration, enabling them to support one another in adaptation and development. They expressed a desire to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation between the two legislatures.

General Secretary and President Lam highlighted that political trust has remained strong, while investment, trade and connectivity have continued to deepen, with the network of Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) standing as a symbol of the effective economic partnership between the two countries.

He also underscored that Vietnam and Singapore are among ASEAN’s leading partners in such strategic areas as digital transformation, science and technology, clean energy, carbon credit exchange, cybersecurity, emerging technologies and financial centre development.

Sharing the productive outcomes of his separate talks with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the Vietnamese leader said that both sides agreed to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and support each other in maintaining stability and adaptability amid a world undergoing profound transformations marked by growing uncertainty.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in emerging and high-potential fields, including digital transformation, green economy, clean energy transition, new technologies, innovation, smart finance, supply chain resilience, financial centre development and food security.

The top Vietnamese leader appreciated the positive contributions made by the two legislatures to implementing the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby helping strengthen political trust and promote effective economic cooperation. He affirmed that close legislative cooperation has helped create a favourable legal framework for implementing bilateral agreements.

He proposed the two sides continue to enhance exchanges of high-level delegations, young parliamentarians, women parliamentarians and subordinate committees; and strengthen collaboration and share experience in institution-building, legal reform and policymaking in emerging areas of national development.

Speaker Seah expressed his hope that Vietnam will support Singapore during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027 and that the two countries will continue working together to contribute to a stronger ASEAN.

At the meeting between Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Australian Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Jan Adams in Singapore on May 30 (Photo published by VNA)

Vietnam, Australia foster Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Australian Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Jan Adams have agreed to further deepen the economic cooperation pillar and work toward the early realisation of the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to 20 billion USD.

At their meeting in Singapore on May 30 on the occasion of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Trung noted with pleasure the positive and substantive development of the Vietnam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including effective cooperation between the two foreign ministries both bilaterally and at regional and international forums.

He proposed the two sides continue to closely coordinate preparations for high-level exchanges and engagements to further strengthen political trust, accelerate the implementation of commitments and agreements, and promote cooperation in the Mekong sub-region. He also expressed hope that Australian leaders would attend the third ASEAN Future Forum, scheduled to take place in Vietnam on June 9–10.

For her part, Adams congratulated Vietnam on the significant achievements it has made in recent years. She also praised General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam’s keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, expressing particular agreement with Vietnam’s call for strengthening preventive diplomacy capacity in the region.

She affirmed that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stands ready to support Vietnam in achieving its development goals. Adams also voiced support for Vietnam’s chairmanship of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2026 and its hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2027.

Adams expressed hope that Trung would arrange a visit to Australia and co-chair the 8th foreign ministers’ meeting in the time ahead. She also praised the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its role in coordinating and advancing the recent “Meet Australia” event in Ho Chi Minh City, which helped strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides welcomed the on-schedule implementation of the Action Plan for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2024–2027 across various areas of cooperation.

They also agreed to expand collaboration in technology, strategic minerals, digital economy and other areas of mutual interest, while continuing to coordinate closely and support each other at regional and international forums. The two sides affirmed their commitment to maintaining ASEAN’s centrality and contributing to the promotion of dialogue, cooperation, peace, stability and development.

Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jarno Syrjälä. (Photo: VNA)

Finland eyes stronger cooperation with Vietnam in strategic areas

Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jarno Syrjälä made the statement in an interview with the press during his working visit to Vietnam on May 28–29.

Syrjälä highlighted the growing political trust, strong economic complementarity and expanding people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, describing the bilateral relations as entering “the best period ever.”

He stressed that the two countries are moving from “shared orientation to concrete action” following the establishment of the Vietnam–Finland Strategic Partnership in late 2025.

According to Syrjälä, the newly established Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Finland is built on more than five decades of friendship and cooperation, grounded in mutual trust, equality and respect, towards to deepening bilateral and multilateral relations for the benefit of the people of both countries.

He said the purpose of his visit was to further concretise and deepen the substantive content of the Strategic Partnership framework established by the two countries in October 2025.

During the trip, the Finnish delegation held meetings with key Vietnamese ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Public Security. The delegation also met with leading Vietnamese corporations such as Vingroup, Vietnam Maritime Corporation and Petrovietnam Power Corporation.

Discussions focused on strategic areas including sustainable energy development, strategic infrastructure, digitalisation, trusted telecommunications and smart urban development.

Syrjälä noted that the two sides also exchanged views on digital infrastructure security, including cooperation related to 5G and satellite technologies, reflecting what he described as “a comprehensive and long-term approach” to bilateral cooperation.

From policy dialogue to business connectivity and the identification of priority areas, this visit provides additional momentum for the two countries to move from "orientation to action", he said, adding that it marked an important step towards substantively advancing the Vietnam–Finland Strategic Partnership through concrete cooperation initiatives in the time ahead.

Both sides are currently working on a detailed action plan to effectively implement commitments under the Strategic Partnership framework, thereby deepening substantive cooperation and delivering practical benefits to the people of both countries, he noted.

The Finnish official described Vietnam as Finland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, saying this reflects the high level of trust and significant cooperation potential between the two economies.

Despite positive progress, he noted that considerable room remains for expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas where Finland possesses advanced expertise and technology.

He highlighted Finland’s strengths in clean technology, renewable energy, digital transformation and sustainable development, stressing that such experience could effectively support Vietnam’s development objectives.

Finland is among the world’s leading countries in green transition and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, he said, adding that around 96% of the country’s electricity production is currently carbon-free.

These are experiences and solutions that Finland is ready to share with Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country advances its sustainable development goals and climate change response, he stated.

Syrjälä identified clean energy and energy transition, smart infrastructure, logistics and maritime development, digital supply chains, telecommunications technology, sustainable agriculture and environmental technology as particularly promising areas for future cooperation between the two nations.

He also underscored the increasingly important role of businesses in advancing the bilateral ties, noting that enterprises from both countries would serve as a key driving force in transforming ideas into concrete projects, promoting investment and facilitating technology transfer.

According to the Finnish official, innovation capacity and practical implementation by the business community will play a central role in generating sustainable growth for both Finland and Vietnam in the coming years.

Assessing Vietnam’s increasing role and position, Syrjälä described the country as one of Asia’s most dynamic and fastest-growing economies, playing an increasingly important role in regional stability, economic integration and multilateral cooperation.

He praised Vietnam’s active participation in ASEAN mechanisms and broader international cooperation frameworks, saying the country’s growing international profile creates favourable conditions for expanding partnerships with countries such as Finland.

Regarding people-to-people exchanges, Syrjälä noted that the Vietnamese community in Finland has grown to around 16,000 people and is becoming an increasingly important bridge in the bilateral relations.

Educational cooperation programmes between universities and institutions in the two countries has also contributed to stronger mutual understanding and long-term connectivity, he said, adding that thousands of Vietnamese students are currently studying in Finland, helping lay the foundation for future cooperation in high-quality human resources.

The Finnish official also expressed confidence that young people would continue to play an important role in strengthening the bilateral relations in the years ahead.

At the same time, he said Finland remains ready to welcome more Vietnamese enterprises to visit and explore the European nation's technological solutions and innovation models directly, thereby opening up further opportunities for investment and long-term business cooperation.

Vietnam seeks UNFPA support in negotiations on convention on older persons’ rights

Vietnam has called on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to continue supporting the country in discussions and negotiations on a future international convention on the rights of older persons, underscoring its commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of the elderly amid rapid population ageing.

The proposal was made by Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang during a meeting with UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson in Hanoi on May 29.

Giang highly valued UNFPA’s contributions to Vietnam over the past 45 years and welcomed ongoing efforts to finalise the 2027–2031 cooperation programme between the two sides. He stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to cooperation with international partners in pursuing its strategic development goals, including its aspiration to become a developed country by 2045.

The deputy minister said the ministry is stepping up international cooperation on ageing-related issues and requested UNFPA’s continued support through technical expertise, international experience and policy recommendations in areas such as population ageing, long-term care, the care economy, the silver economy and promoting the role of older persons in society.

He also suggested that both sides explore opportunities to advance discussions on population ageing and the silver economy within relevant regional and international cooperation frameworks, including APEC 2027.

Vietnam affirms that it views the building of the convention as one of long-term significance and stands ready to play a proactive, constructive, and responsible role in relevant multilateral processes, Giang said.

For his part, Jackson praised the strong partnership between Vietnam and UNFPA, affirming that Vietnam is a key partner of the organisation. He affirmed UNFPA’s readiness to continue supporting Vietnamese agencies through experience-sharing and policy consultation in areas of mutual interest.

The two sides also exchanged views on ongoing reforms within the United Nations system aimed at enhancing efficiency, reducing overlap and improving resource utilisation, and agreed to maintain close coordination in implementing future cooperation initiatives.

Vietnam News Today (May 23): Vietnam Underscores Stronger ASEAN-China Cooperation for Regional Peace and Stability Vietnam News Today (May 23): Top leader pledges favorable conditions for US tech firms to invest in Vietnam; India, Vietnam expand exchanges through new cultural ...

Vietnam News Today (May 24): Vietnam, Russia Expand Cooperation in Marine Affairs Vietnam News Today (May 24): Vietnam, Russia expand cooperation in marine affairs; Vietnam bolsters cooperation with Cambodia’s northeastern provinces; Vesak Celebrations 2026 features diverse cultural, ...