Vietnam attaches importance to strategic partnership with Singapore

Receiving the Singaporean guest, Trong suggested that the two countries effectively promote the great potential of cooperation, especially in trade and investment, through enhancing exchanges and contact at high levels and across all channels so as to facilitate post-pandemic economic recovery in their respective countries.

He said he would assign relevant Vietnamese agencies to work closely with their Singaporean counterparts to realize agreements reached during the President’s October 16-20 visit, for the benefit of the two peoples.

For her part, Yacob briefed her host on the results of her talks with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, saying the two sides signed a number of cooperation documents in various fields, and noting the strategic partnership between the two countries is developing substantively.

Both sides are expanding cooperation in the areas such as renewable energy, cybersecurity, trade and investment, and human resource training, including a training programme for senior officials of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Singapore, she said.

At another reception for the visiting Singaporean President, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested the two countries move to build the ‘Vietnam - Singapore Digital Economy - Green Economy Partnership’.

He said Vietnam and Singapore should expand cooperation to important fields of the 4.0 industry revolution such as digital economy, digital transformation, innovation, and green economy.

Yacob agreed with Chinh’s proposals and affirmed that Singapore would continue to share its management experience with Vietnam, and help the country to build a digital platform, promote digital transformation in priority areas, and support high-quality human resource training.

She welcomed the Government of Vietnam’s decision to approve the construction of the Vietnam – Singapore Industrial park (VSIP), the 12th of its kind, in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Both host and guest highly appreciated the effectiveness of the VSIP model in Vietnam, which they said has made an important contribution to socio-economic development in the country.

On regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Singapore would continue working closely to maintain solidarity and the central role of ASEAN in addressing regional issues, including the East Sea issue. They also agreed to further increase economic and trade cooperation in ASEAN so as to expand cooperation to other fields.

On this occasion, PM Pham Minh Chinh extended his invitation to Singaporean PM Lee Hsien-loong to visit Vietnam. 

Receiving President Yacob the same day, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed Vietnam’s wish to learn from Singapore’s experience in lawmaking and implementation, especially in the field of linking industrialization with urbanization and urban economic development.

He hoped that the legislatures and governments of the two countries would strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums and affirm ASEAN’s central role and common position in regional and global issues, including the East Sea issue.