• Vietnam, Singapore look towards stronger ties

Singapore keen to invest in Vietnam’s potential areas

During the April 23 talks with his Singaporean counterpart, Tony Tan Keng Yam in Hanoi, Mr Sang spoke highly of Mr Tans’ Vietnam visit, the first overseas trip since he was elected Singaporean President, saying it symbolizes productive bilateral comprehensive cooperation.

President Sang expressed his admiration for Singapore’s achievements in all fields and said it has been successful in building a civilized and developed country and becoming a regional and global financial, economic, scientific and technological centre.

President Tan congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in its national construction and development, especially its initial success in containing inflation and maintaining stable economic growth.

Both leaders said they are pleased with the development of traditional relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. They agreed to maintain visits of high-ranking delegations, which have helped boost mutual trust and raise the relationship to a new level, moving towards establishing a Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership.

Presidents Sang and Tan highlighted the positive results of the Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and the recent 8th Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Ministerial Meeting in Singapore, as well as the effective operations of the Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks (VSIP) in Binh Duong and Bac Ninh provinces and Haiphong City.

Host and guest agreed that both countries will soon sign a cooperation agreement on preventing and combating transnational crime and others for cooperation in education, training, construction, and agriculture.

Vietnam and Singapore have worked closely together in international and regional forums and they will strengthen ties in international economic cooperation mechanisms such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), especially when the ASEAN Community is formed in 2015.

President Sang thanked Singapore for supporting Vietnam’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council during its 2014-2016 term.

Regarding the East Sea issue, President Tan said Singapore will continue cooperating with Vietnam to maintain solidarity among ASEAN nations and ensure security, marine safety and freedom in the East Sea in compliance to international laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCO 1982), and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

After their talks, the two Presidents witnessed the Quang Ngai provincial People’s Committee approving the building of a VSIP and a thermal power plant in the province.

**The same day, President Tan was received by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung who reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening ties with Singapore.

PM Dung underlined Mr Tan’s visit to Vietnam, saying it marks a milestone in the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

The Government leader proposed that both countries foster cooperation in trade, investment, education-training, national security and defence.

The Singaporean President said he will strive to bring the bilateral relations to a new height.