Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam values its relations with Singapore, and hopes for the effective and substantive implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership to further strengthen bilateral ties in the coming time, State President Luong Cuong told Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during their meeting in Hanoi on March 26.
Cuong welcomed Wong on his first official visit to Vietnam as the Prime Minister of Singapore, stressing that this is the first high-level delegation exchange since the two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Vietnamese State leader congratulated the government and people of Singapore on their achievements in recent years, which have turned Singapore into a developed nation with leading financial, technology and innovation centres in the region.
Reaffirming Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship cooperation, and multilateralisation and diversification of relations, Cuong suggested Singapore continue supporting Vietnam in human resources development, particularly in training strategic-level officials.
He called for enhancing the quality of cooperation between the two sides across all sectors, especially innovation, clean energy, and digital transformation.
He took the occasion to convey his regards to and extended an invitation to the President of Singapore to visit Vietnam at a convenient time.
For his part, Wong expressed his joy to meet Cuong again following their meeting at the APEC Summit in Peru last November.
Showing his deep impression of Vietnam's strong development in recent years, Wong affirmed that Singapore wishes to strengthen its cooperative relationship with Vietnam, a like-minded friend of Singapore and also its first comprehensive strategic partner in ASEAN.
He stressed that Singapore has always been a steadfast partner in Vietnam’s Doi moi (Rrenewal) process, and that his country stands ready to actively cooperate and support Vietnam in socio-economic development, towards realising the country’s goal of double-digit growth, and becoming a high-income developed nation by 2045.
Singapore seeks to expand cooperation with Vietnam in areas of mutual potential and demand, such as renewable energy, submarine cable connectivity, and digital economy, and in addressing emerging challenges, he went on.
The two leaders appreciated the outstanding achievements of cooperation in all areas in recent times, particularly in politics, economy, trade, and investment, while agreeing that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, based on political trust and shared interests and visions in many areas, will help strengthen and connect both countries more comprehensively, fostering deeper and more effective collaboration, both bilaterally and in addressing regional strategic issues.
Vietnam and Singapore should fully tap their cooperative potential, with their economies being complementary to each other, work closely to effectively implement the content of the new framework of relations, including the implementation of the 2025-2030 Action Programme with specific measures across the six overarching pillars of the Joint Statement on upgrading the bilateral relations, they stressed.
The two sides also agreed to continue strengthening political trust, increasing high-level visits and exchanges, and people-to-people and business connections; deepening defence and security cooperation; enhancing coordination in the fight against cross-border crimes, including cybercrime, and in response to both traditional and non-traditional security challenges.
The two leaders also vowed to effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms to make breakthroughs in new areas within the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework. They welcomed and highly appreciated the two governments agreeing to continue enhancing the quality of cooperation, including the development of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) network into VSIP 2.0 in a sustainable, smart, and innovative direction, implementing clean energy projects, and facilitating cross-border payments using QR codes.
They agreed that as Vietnam and Singapore share common views and perspectives on regional and global issues, the two countries should continue to closely coordinate with and support each other at regional and international forums, especially ASEAN and the United Nations, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development, and maintain ASEAN’s solidarity and common stance on important international and regional issues, including the East Sea, promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./.
