The launching of a new air route linking Phu Quoc island in southern Kien Giang province and Singapore will create a new impetus for the island’s development as well as the multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.

This was confirmed by Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Nghi at a workshop introducing Phu Quoc Island, a new beach paradise of Vietnam, in Singapore on September 30.

In addition to promoting the image of Phu Quoc to Singapore and other regional countries, the air route is hoped to develop the island into a tourism hub, a marine city, and a special economic zone in the region and beyond, targeting sustainable development and environmental protection, Nghi said.

Nguyen Tien Nam, head of Vietnam Airlines’ branch in Singapore, said the route, which is scheduled to be launched on November 2 with two flights per week on every Thursday and Sunday, will open up new opportunities for both Singaporean and Vietnamese investors.

This is the fourth air route after those connecting Singapore with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and central Da Nang city, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Hai Hau, expressing hope that more routes will be launched in the coming years to deepen the bilateral ties.

Vietnam and Singapore elevated their relations to a strategic partnership in 2013, when two-way trade hit over 15 billion USD. Singapore is Vietnam’s largest ASEAN investor with a total registered foreign direct investment (FDI) of over 30 billion USD.

In January-July, Vietnam welcomed 120,000 Singaporean tourists while nearly 200,000 Vietnamese visited the island country, respective year-on-year increases of 5.5 percent and 14 percent.-VNA