Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing called on Prime Minister (PM) of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, Vietnam today. Mr Chan also met his counterpart Vietnam Minister of National Defence General (GEN) Phan Van Giang. Also present at the meetings was Minister of State for Defence Mr Desmond Choo.  

PM Pham and Mr Chan reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral relationship between Singapore and Vietnam, and discussed various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) which was announced by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and PM Lawrence Wong in March 2025. The initiatives spanned across economic development, people to people exchanges, academic research, and leadership development. The CSP, which is Singapore’s first with an ASEAN Member State, reflects Singapore and Vietnam’s shared commitment to expanding cooperation in areas of mutual benefit, such as the digital economy, renewable energy and carbon credits, which can create growth opportunities for both countries. Singapore’s cooperation with Vietnam is also in support of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and ASEAN Power Grid (APG), which will strengthen the economy and resilience of Singapore, Vietnam and ASEAN. 

GEN Giang and Mr Chan exchanged views on geopolitical developments and discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral defence relationship, under the ambit of the CSP. The Ministers also welcomed ongoing cooperation within multilateral platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, and affirmed both countries’ commitment to regional peace and stability through these frameworks. Mr Chan said, ”GEN Giang and I agreed to strengthen defence ties, particularly amidst an uncertain geopolitical backdrop. We intend to step up interactions through high-level visits, bilateral dialogues, cross-attendance of courses, and professional exchanges. We will also continue to work together at ADMM/ADMM-Plus to uphold an open and inclusive regional security architecture.”