Vietnam and Singapore have agreed on a set of measures to carry their strategic partnership forward at the recent eighth political consultation between the two foreign ministries held in Singapore.

Specifically, they will facilitate all-level visits, with a Vietnam visit by former Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong scheduled for this September.

On the economic front, both sides highly valued the outcomes of the tenth ministerial meeting on economic connectivity in the fields of finance, information-media, education-training, transport, investment, trade and services.

Vietnam wants Singapore to invest more in logistics, financial centres and infrastructure in the country, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said.

The Singaporean side, in return, described Vietnam as its key economic partner and vowed to urge domestic and foreign enterprises there to make ways to Vietnam.

It welcomed a plan to launch a direct air route linking Phu Quoc and Singapore and hold a round-table conference on Phu Quoc investment in the state-city.

Beyond stronger collaboration in national defence-security and others, Singapore will pay attention to developing education with Vietnam via scholarship grants and short-term courses.

They promised to boost tourism cooperation, especially cruise tours, and fix date for the 13 th meeting of the Vietnam – Singapore Committee on Tourism Cooperation.

Both sides underscored the need to earnestly abide by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, to which ASEAN and China are signatories, and formulate the Code of Conduct in the East Sea soon.

They also gave high opinion of ASEAN’s active role in ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea.

The ninth consultation will be held in Vietnam next year.

While in Singapore from July 10-11, Vinh also paid a courtesy call to Singaporean Foreign Minister K Shanmuga and held talks with Permanent Secretary of Singaporean Foreign Ministry Chee Wee Kiong.
Shanmuga suggested more efforts to deepen the productive ties between the two countries, especially within the framework agreement on connecting the two economies.

Vietnam is always a key and important partner of Singapore, both bilaterally and regionally, he said-VNA.