Singapore (VNA) – Singapore is always animportant partner of Vietnam during its development process, said VietnameseAmbassador to Singapore Nguyen Tien Minh at a meeting on August 29 to markVietnam’s 72nd National Day (September 2).
According to the diplomat, on the basis of the strategicpartnership set up in 2013, Vietnam and Singapore have intensified cooperationin numerous fields, including security, defence, trade, investment, educationand tourism, with trade and investment being a bright spot in the bilateralrelations.
In the past three years, two-way trade recorded an averageannual growth rate of 12 percent. Last year, bilateral trade reached 20 billionSGD (approximately 15 billion USD), making Vietnam become Singapore’s 11thlargest trade partner.
Singapore is Vietnam’s third biggest investor, with over1,900 projects worth nearly 42 billion USD.
Minh expressed his belief that the visits made by the twocountries’ senior leaders, especially the visit to Vietnam by Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong in November will help lift the bilateral relations to a newheight.
In the context that the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) is celebrating its 50th founding anniversary, Vietnam pledgesto work with other member states in building an ASEAN Community of peace,solidarity, development and prosperity, which holds a central role in theregion’s security architecture, he added.
Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiangsaid that Singapore continues to be Vietnam’s development partner throughtechnical assistance and cooperation in various fields, including education,finance, tourism and transport.
In October, he and Vietnamese Minister of Planning andInvestment Nguyen Chi Dung will co-chair the 13th economic connectivityconference in Vietnam to discuss measures to promote bilateral investment andimport export activities, he noted.-VNA