HCM City hopes for more substantive ties with Singapore: official

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (R) and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen highlighted his city’s wish to further enhance substantive cooperation with Singapore while meeting with visiting Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on September 15.

The host said HCM City and Singaporean localities are holding many activities towards the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam - Singapore diplomatic relationship and the 10th anniversary of the countries’ strategic partnership in 2023.

As there remains much cooperation room and potential, HCM City wishes for more substantive activities, especially in trade, education - training, culture, and public administrative reform, in order to promote socio-economic development and their relations, he said.

Nen spoke highly of Singaporean businesses and investors who have been operating fruitfully in the southern hub, adding that HCM City hopes to learn from the models Singapore is strong in to improve its services for local residents.

For his part, Heng also said he hopes HCM City and Singapore will carry out more cooperation activities.

He highly valued efforts made by the Vietnamese Government and HCM City in the COVID-19 combat, as well as their dynamism and flexible response to secure a fast recovery and good development.

Singapore itself has also learned many lessons during its cooperation and investment process in Vietnam, including anti-pandemic experience, he added.

The guest recommended HCM City focus bilateral cooperation on digital transformation, digital economy, green technology, and sustainable development.

In particular, planning, infrastructure building, and finance - banking should be the pillars while scientific and technological advances should be promoted to build a smart, green, and livable city, while developing the local economy developed to stay resilient to epidemics or crises, Heng noted.

Singapore is looking to join HCM City in stepping up aviation links to boost tourism and develop sea transportation, digital infrastructure, and cyber security, he said, suggesting the countries’ localities create favourable conditions for enterprises to make innovations, enhance partnerships, improve investment quality, and foster sustainable development./.