President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the city state on February 25 (Photo: VNA) Welcomingthe Vietnamese delegation, PM Lee said the good outcomes of their State visitto Singapore and the significant cooperation achievements in the recent pastwill create a new impulse for the two countries’ strategic partnership.
PresidentPhuc affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and highly prioritises theunceasing reinforcement and development of its strategic partnership withSingapore.
Both hostand guest expressed their delight at the increasingly substantive and effectivepartnership in all fields, noting that political and diplomatic cooperation hasbecome stronger and more fruitful while economic ties are now a bright spot inthe region.
Despiteadverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade still reached 8.3billion USD in 2021, up 23.3 percent from the previous year. Singapore now ranksfirst among ASEAN countries and second among the 140 countries and territoriesinvesting in Vietnam, with its total registered FDI standing at 66 billion USD.The Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) model has become a symbol of successfulcooperation between the two countries.
Cooperationin other important aspects like defence - security, culture, education,tourism, and people-to-people exchange have also continued growing well,according to the leaders.
Discussingmajor orientations for bilateral relations, they agreed to resume all-level mutualvisits and meetings soon; step up security - defence collaboration; effectivelyimplement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially the ministerial meetingon economic connectivity; and promote the key cooperation areas under thebilateral Connectivity Framework Agreement, including investment, finance, ICT,education and training, transport, trade, and services.
PresidentPhuc and PM Lee also agreed to expand ties in innovation, digitaltransformation, digital economy, and green and sustainable development so as toelevate the Vietnam -Singapore economic connectivity to a digital-based one. Besides,the two countries will work together to develop VSIPs into hi-tech, smart, andenvironmentally friendly industrial parks, and to capitalise on benefits fromthe new-generation free trade agreements to which both are parties such as theComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Applaudingbilateral cooperation in COVID-19 combat, the leaders hailed their countries’ mutualrecognition of each other’s vaccination certificates, which will facilitatebilateral travel and trading and greatly contribute to each side’ post-pandemicrecovery and development.
They notedwith satisfaction their countries’ effective coordination at regional andinternational forums, concurring in the continued coordination to help maintainASEAN’s solidarity and centrality. Both sides also showed their support for thebloc’s active role in assisting Myanmar to surmount the current crisis andpromoting the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus reached at the ASEANleaders’ meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April 2021.
They alsoaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, andfreedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; not using or threateningto use force; peacefully solving disputes on the basis of international law,including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC);and negotiating to reach a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) inthe waters that matches international law, including the UNCLOS.
On thisoccasion, President Phuc conveyed PM Pham Minh Chinh’s invitation to visitVietnam to PM Lee.
Followingthe talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of five cooperation documentson defence, economy - trade, intellectual property, digital economy, andpeople-to-people ties signed by the countries’ government agencies. The dealsare expected to create an important framework helping strengthen the Vietnam -Singapore strategic partnership./.
VNA
