Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (L) meets with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: VNA)During his four-day visit, the Singaporean PM held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, during which the two sides witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents, including the hand-over of an approval letter of the State Bank of Vietnam to Singapore’s United Overseas Bank on establishing a branch in Vietnam; and Memoranda of Understanding on developing a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project on gas turbines at Dung Quat 2; on developing a software park in Da Nang, and on the building of a Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Tri, among others.
During separate meetings between PM Lee Hsien Loong and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Tran Dai Quang, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the two sides highly valued the growing bilateral relations thanks to regular high-level delegation exchanges.
Both nations agreed to consider legislative collaboration a key pillar in the bilateral strategic partnership and called on the competent agencies to enhance coordination in providing technical assistance and verifying criteria for farm produce, seafood and foodstuff.
Singapore pledged to continue supporting Vietnam to increase capacity and facilitate foreign direct investment and trade between Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.
The two sides stressed the need to further collaboration in urban city development and modernisation through the application of information-technology and telecommunication in urban management, transport, and environment, while tightening ties between Singapore and Vietnam’s major cities.
PM Lee Hsien Loong recognised Vietnam’s proposal on supporting waste treatment and environmental protection at coastal tourism areas, and signing a MoU on labour cooperation, foreign languages training, and sharpening skills for Vietnamese workers.
The two countries hoped to boost cooperation in aviation and within the framework of ASEAN.
They reiterated their commitments to strengthening defence partnership via high-level visits and bilateral activities to cement the bilateral friendship and mutual trust, especially at ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM , as well as continue joining hands to address common security challenges such as marine security, piracy, terrorism and cross-border crime.
The two sides vowed to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon complete the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
While stay in Vietnam, PM Lee Hsien Loong and his spouse had a working session with authorities from Ho Chi Minh City, met with Singaporean businesses in the city, and attended a ceremony to launch the Mapletree business centre - a leading Singaporean investor in the Vietnam’s southern economic hub.
On the occasion, Vietnam’s Omega Books along with the Singaporean Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam Intellectual Cooperation Centre jointly launched a book “The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew”.-VNA
VNA
