Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in Singapore today, May 28, for a four-day state visit at the invitation of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. This marks Lam's first visit to Singapore as head of state since his election in April 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
During the visit, President Lam will meet with several top Singaporean leaders including President Tharman, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
On May 29 evening, Lam will deliver the keynote address at the 23rd International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue, presenting Vietnam's foreign policy to an international audience for the first time as president [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. He is the highest-ranking Vietnamese official and the first Communist Party general secretary to deliver a keynote at the prominent defence forum [6].
Earlier on May 29, Lam will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from President Tharman, followed by a state banquet hosted by Tharman and his wife, honoring Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
On May 30, President Lam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take part in a tree-planting ceremony featuring the Hopea recopei tree, native to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, symbolizing strong bilateral ties [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Lam will also attend the Vietnam-Singapore Tech Connect Initiative to boost cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, along with meetings on advancing Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks with focus on smart technology and sustainability [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Lam's itinerary includes visits to Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre and Bishan Depot, to study urban infrastructure and advanced manufacturing techniques [6].
Singapore and Vietnam established a Strategic Partnership in 2013, which was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 during Lam’s visit as Communist Party general secretary [1]. The relationship is marked by robust trade and investment: in 2025, bilateral trade in goods reached S$40 billion, making Vietnam Singapore's 10th largest trading partner, while Singapore was Vietnam’s largest foreign investor in 2024 with nearly US$10.2 billion (S$13.1 billion) in direct investment [2, 3, 4, 5].
On May 31, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng will call on President Lam, concluding the visit [1, 6].
