Vietnam, Singapore convene 14th political consultation

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Chee Wee Kiong co-chaired the 14th political consultation between the two nations via videoconference.

Both sides reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation in various areas and discussed what they will focus on to develop Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership in a more effective manner, especially following COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the negative impacts of the pandemic from early 2020 to September 2021, Singapore became the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with 402 new projects worth 11.4 billion USD.

Dung highlighted the significance of strengthening connectivity between the two economies, boosting cooperation to ensure supply chain, and expanding connections to new fields such as digital transformation, smart development, e-commerce, and developing Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) into hi-tech, creative and environmentally friendly ones.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Chee Wee Kiong co-chaired the 14th political consultation between the two nations via videoconference. (Photo: VNA)

Chee Wee Kiong, for his part, affirmed that Singapore will assist Vietnam in vaccines via COVAX Facility. He suggested the two sides soon complete negotiations on mutual recognition of vaccine passports, put into operation priority travelling mechanisms, resume flights and facilitate travelling between the two nations.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they spotlighted the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also expressed support for serious and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiations between ASEAN and China to reach a practical, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law.

Concluding the event, both sides held a ceremony to symbolically present anti-COVID-19 medical supplies to Vietnam. They pledged to increase the sharing of information and conduct joint studies on COVID-19 vaccines and medicines./.