President Nguyen Minh Triet affirmed Vietnam’s wish to develop its friendship and cooperation with Singapore in a comprehensive, long-term and durable manner at a forum before he wrapped up his State visit to Singapore on November 17.

Before his departure, President Triet attended and delivered a speech at the forum “Vietnam – partner for development and progress” which brought together governmental leaders and as many as 350 representatives of major businesses from the two countries.

In his speech, President Triet touched upon the Vietnam-Singapore partnership, Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategies, and the implementation of the country’s foreign policy, especially as it assumes the ASEAN Chair in 2010.

Regarding Vietnam-Singapore relations, President Triet said that friendship and multi-faceted cooperation have been developing continuously in every field since their diplomatic ties were established 36 years ago.

He particularly emphasised the political ties and relations between senior leaders and described the Framework Agreement on Vietnam-Singapore Linkage as a specific model to help cooperation in the six prioritised areas bear more fruit.

The President told the participants that Singapore currently is Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner and fifth-largest investor and that jointly funded Industrial Parks in Vietnam are operating effectively, symbolising the success of their mutually beneficial cooperation.

Also, cooperation in education and training, tourism, finance and banking, transport and communication, information technology, culture, healthcare, and security and defence have been faring well, he noted.

The two countries have collaborated well and effectively at regional and international forums, especially within such bodies as ASEAN, ARF, APEC, ASEM, and the UN.

“Vietnam wants Singapore to be its leading strategic economic partner in the region and serve as an important bridge for Vietnam’s export goods to reach out to the world market,” the Vietnamese leader said.

He also expressed the hope that Singapore will become a favourite destination for Vietnamese students and a crucial partner of Vietnam in terms of information technology, healthcare, transport and communications, finance and banking, electronics and manufacturing.

The State and Government of Vietnam wholeheartedly support and welcome investment by Singaporean businesses in Vietnam, the President said.

“Vietnam wants to bind its growth and prosperity with that of Singapore,” he stressed.

Introducing the nation’s future development orientations, he said Vietnam is determined to become an industrialised country by 2020.

He told the forum that the Vietnamese Party and State are set to continue stepping up the nation’s renewal process, industrialisation and modernisation, actively integrating into global life and maintaining socio-political stability to advance towards the goal of building the country into a strong one with a rich people and a fair, democratic and civilised society.

With regard to the country’s foreign policy, the President reaffirmed that Vietnam will continue to focus on expanding its external relations, actively deepening its full integration into global, regional and bilateral economic institutions.
Vietnam will work to elevate its comprehensive and effective cooperation with ASEAN member countries and Asia-Pacific countries and territories.

For its ASEAN Chair 2010, Vietnam has defined its priorities, which include enhancing ASEAN solidarity and interconnectedness, fully putting the ASEAN Charter into practice, stepping up the implementation of the roadmap for the building of an ASEAN Community, and broadening and deepening ASEAN’s cooperation with its partners.

At the forum, businesses of the two countries signed a number of memoranda of understanding regarding maritime transport, housing construction, and the issuance of bonds on the Singapore stock exchange.

On the day, President Triet met with Singaporean Parliament Speaker Abdullah Tarmugi and Senior Minister Shunmugam Jayakumar./.