Salvador Illa begins trip to Vietnam and Singapore to strengthen commercial and institutional ties

The president of the Catalan government, Salvador Illa, begins a trip to Vietnam and Singapore on Friday to strengthen commercial ties and institutional ties.

This is the first visit by a Catalan president to Southeast Asia and the third of the current head of government to Asia, after the 2025 trips to Japan, Korea, and China.

His agenda will extend from July 25-30, with stops in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

Illa will meet with economic agents and the main airline of each country, as well as visit Catalan companies with a presence in both states.

In political matters, he will meet with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Gia Tuc.

New markets

With the aim of strengthening trade relations, the executive seeks with this trip to promote exports and attract investment from the Asian market, as well as boost the international profile of Catalan companies.

One of the outstanding events is the inauguration of the Catalonia-Ho Chi Minh City Business Forum, which is held in the country's economic capital, and where Illa will give a conference to businessmen.

In Hanoi, he will meet with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while in Singapore he will meet with ST Engineering, one of the main technology, engineering and defense groups in Asia. The multinational has a business portfolio in the aerospace, smart city, defense and public security segments.

Airlines

In addition, Illa will meet with Vietnam Airlines, since there is a "mutual interest" between both governments in the internationalization of routes, according to sources in the executive.

He will also meet with Singapore Airlines, which will be operating in Barcelona for 20 years in 2026.

The Singaporean carrier announced earlier this year an increase from 3 to 5 direct flights with Barcelona during this summer. It will also definitively eliminate intermediate stops and consolidate direct flights throughout the year, in an operation planned for the end of October.

Institutional leaders

The Catalan figurehead will meet with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong and Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister, Pham Gia Tuc, responsible for directing key sectors of the state's economic, industrial and commercial policy.

He will also meet with regional institutional leaders such as the Ho Chi Minh People's Committee and the Da Nang People's Committee, local executive bodies in Vietnam.

Commonly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City represents nearly 23% of the national GDP.