Singapore highly values its cooperation with Vietnam, according to Minister in the Singaporean Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say, who has revealed that local businesses want to invest in the country and bolster trading with Vietnamese partners.

The minister made the comment at a working session with Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, and Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, Nguyen Thi Hong, on May 29.

Lim, who is also Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), praised the connection between the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore, the Saigon Union of Trading Co-operative and Singapore’s NTUC FairPrice group to co-organise the first Vietnam Fair at more than 120 supermarkets across the island country from May 29-June 11.

He expressed his hope that the fair will become an annual event introducing new made-in-Vietnam products to Singaporean consumers.

For her part, Ha said the fair is part of the activities to further promote trade ties between the two sides’ businesses, and stressed that the Vietnamese city will facilitate foreign enterprises’ investment and business activities in the locality.

Around 40 Vietnamese products of all kinds, especially coffee, dragon fruit and seafood, will be displayed at NTUC FairPrice’s supermarkets during the fair.

Last year, the number of Vietnamese exports to Singapore rose by 30 percent, with supermarkets selling over 400 groups of goods, including garments, machinery, electronic components and farm produce.-VNA