Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong on October 9 held talks for the first time within the framework of the annual meeting of the two government leaders on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos.
At the talks, PM Chinh thanked the Government and people of Singapore for their practical assistance to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of Typhoon Yagi, saying that this is a clear demonstration of the Vietnam - Singapore Strategic Partnership as well as the friendship and sharing between the leaders and people of the two countries.
The two PMs expressed their joy to witness the unprecedented and comprehensive development of the bilateral cooperation in all areas, and affirmed their determination to bring the bilateral relations to a new height.
They held that economic cooperation remains an important pillar in the bilateral relationship. They agreed to coordinate to effectively implement the Framework Agreement on connecting the two economies and the Vietnam - Singapore green economy - digital economy partnership, especially telecommunications infrastructure connectivity, while developing the sustainable and smart VSIP 2.0 system and clean energy.
The two leaders also emphasised the need to further strengthen cooperation in other important fields, such as defense - security, education - training, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
PM Chinh affirmed he will create favourable conditions for Singapore’s businesses to expand investment in Vietnam associated with improving the quality of FDI flows, and give priority to the fields of high technology, digital economy, circular economy, innovation, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI).
He called for Singapore's assistance to Vietnam in building a national innovation centre for data science, saying the two sides should collaborate in food production, supply chain logistics, and aquaculture, aiming to become a regional food supply hub.
As Vietnam was Singapore’s largest rice supplier in the first half of this year, PM Wong expressed his hope for stronger bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food security, saying Singapore is ready to import fruits, food, and seafood from Vietnam.
The Singaporean leader also pledged to help Vietnam improve the quality of its workforce, especially at the strategic level, maintain scholarships at various levels for the country, and effectively implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the Innovation Talent Exchange Programme between the two countries.
Regarding regional issues, the two leaders agreed to strengthen the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s solidarity and pay due attention to the sustainable development of sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region, thus contributing significantly to a resilient and prosperous ASEAN that develops sustainably, while enhancing its centrality in the region.
The two PMs also reaffirmed their determination to turn the East Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation, and development, and to work with other ASEAN countries to accelerate negotiations on a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East (COC) in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On this occasion, PM Chinh invited the Singaporean leader and his spouse to pay an official visit to Vietnam in 2025. PM Wong accepted the invitation with pleasure./.
