Tô Lâm’s participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue: shaping a new position for Vietnam

The Shangri-La Dialogue, the main Asian forum devoted to security and defense issues, is being held from May 29 to 31 in Singapore, in an international context marked by complex geopolitical developments.

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Organized each year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, it brings together political leaders, defense ministers, strategic experts and military officials around the major security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

The general secretary of the Party and president of the Tô Lâm Republic.

Photo : VNA/CVN

This edition comes as strategic rivalries between great powers, conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine, as well as tensions linked to maritime security, supply chains and regional militarization continue to fuel international uncertainties.

In this context, the invitation addressed to the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Tô Lâm Republic to deliver the main speech of the Shangri-La Dialogue is considered an important milestone illustrating the rise of Vietnam on the regional scene and international.

Questioned by the Vietnamese News Agency in Singapore, Doctor Mohamed Effendy B. Abdul Hamid, lecturer in Southeast Asian studies at the National University of Singapore, estimated that this edition of the Dialogue takes place at a “geopolitical moment particularly significant”.

According to him, the current international upheavals have direct repercussions on Southeast Asia, notably through supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, energy tensions and the risks of economic slowdown. These developments should, according to the expert, fuel in-depth discussions on ASEAN’s economic resilience as well as on the rise in military spending and growing militarization in the region.

Several observers also believe that the question of the central role of ASEAN in the regional architecture will be at the heart of the exchanges, while the countries of Southeast Asia seek to preserve their unity in the face of intensifying Sino-American rivalry and geoeconomic recompositions. global.

Many experts consider that Tô Lâm’s participation in the forum marks an important development in Vietnam’s international role. Mohamed Effendy B. Abdul Hamid believes that Vietnam is now emerging as a key player in issues related to supply chains, maritime security and regional diplomacy.

According to him, the invitation addressed to the highest Vietnamese leader also reflects the growing interest of the international community in Vietnam’s stability and its approach to current geopolitical challenges.

Professor Vu Minh Khuong, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, considers that Vietnam’s presence at the Shangri-La Dialogue constitutes “a distinctive mark” in a global context marked by the search for new solutions to international crises.

According to him, Vietnam is attracting international attention not only for its history of resilience and the successes of its Renewal policy, but also for its vision of becoming a technologically advanced economy in the decades to come.

The Professor also highlights several characteristics of contemporary Vietnamese diplomacy, notably the constancy of its policy in favor of peace and cooperation, its diplomatic flexibility as well as its capacity to maintain a strategic balance in an environment marked by growing rivalries between great powers.

He believes that Vietnam appears today as an example of balanced management of relations with the great powers, while contributing to regional stability and promoting dialogue between major players such as the United States and China.

Several international media now consider Vietnam not only as a dynamic economy, but also as an actor contributing to shaping the mechanisms of cooperation and strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific.

The Russian media Sputnik notably cited international security experts believing that Vietnam is no longer simply a “participant” in regional structures, but an actor playing a role of influence, mediation and balance, based on an approach of “dynamic neutrality” and respect for international law.

According to Vietnam’s Ambassador to Singapore, Trân Phuoc Anh, the role entrusted to Tô Lâm during the Shangri-La Dialogue reflects Vietnam’s growing prestige and credibility on the international stage.

The diplomat stressed that this forum will provide Vietnam with the opportunity to present its independent, autonomous, multilateral and diversified foreign policy, while reaffirming its commitment to peace, stability and sustainable development in Southeast Asia and the region. Asia-Pacific.

In this context, observers believe that Tô Lâm’s speech will be particularly followed by the international community, due not only to the growing role of Vietnam, but also to the expected messages on the issues of peace, cooperation and strategic balance in a region in full restructuring.

VNA/CVN