Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 10 held phone talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong to further promote and deepen the Vietnam–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
PM Chinh, on behalf of Party General Secretary To Lam and the Party and State of Vietnam, thanked PM Wong for sending a congratulatory letter on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
He conveyed New Year greetings for happiness and prosperity from Party General Secretary To Lam and Vietnamese leaders and the people to PM Wong, as well as leaders and the people of Singapore.
PM Wong expressed his appreciation and extended Lunar New Year of the Horse greetings to Party General Secretary To Lam, key Vietnamese leaders and the Vietnamese people.
The Vietnamese leader put forward a number of proposals for bilateral cooperation, including continued prioritisation of the expansion and upgrading of the Vietnam–Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) to a second generation model that integrates industry with services, high technology and eco-urban development, with a target of reaching 30 VSIPs in 2026, marking 30 years since the successful model was launched in Vietnam.
He welcomed the continued positive growth in bilateral trade in 2025, with growth of 12% compared to 2024, and suggested Singapore further increase imports of Vietnamese agricultural products and effectively implement the memorandum of understanding on rice trade to help ensure food security.
PM Chinh informed his Singaporean counterpart about Vietnam’s decision to build an international financial centre in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, and proposed enhancing cooperation in building and developing the centre on the basis of substantive, mutually beneficial partnership that leverages each side’s strengths and complementarities, contributing to resource mobilisation and shared development within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
He called on Singapore to share experience and provide policy advice, while the two sides will strengthen cooperation in developing financial and banking infrastructure, particularly digital infrastructure, payment systems, cross-border payments, digital identification and cybersecurity. He also encouraged Singaporean banks, investment funds and fintech companies to expand long-term investment and operations in Vietnam.
Highly evaluating the two countries’ active cooperation in clean energy, PM Chinh proposed both sides swiftly carry out surveys for Vietnam’s offshore wind power projects aimed at exporting electricity to Singapore, and coordinate to include the project in the intergovernmental cooperation programme, thereby helping realise the ASEAN Power Grid. The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation in carbon credit exchange, further deepening the Vietnam–Singapore Green Economy–Digital Economy Partnership.
The Vietnamese PM also proposed stronger cooperation in defence and security, as well as in combating transnational crimes, particularly drug trafficking, fraud, financial crime and cybercrime. He asked for Singapore's continued support to Vietnam in human resources development, especially strategic-level leaders training, increase scholarships at all levels for Vietnamese students, enhance people-to-people exchanges, consider opening more direct flights from Singapore to major Vietnamese cities, and promote tourism.
PM Chinh underscored the need to further strengthen cooperation, solidarity and centrality of ASEAN, particularly in addressing regional issues.
For his part, PM Wong once again congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Party Congress, stressing Singapore’s confidence in Vietnam’s strong growth potential and reaffirming its commitment to expanding investment in Vietnam, including increasing the number of VSIPs. Agreeing with PM Chinh, he highlighted priority areas for further cooperation.
Congratulating Vietnam on the establishment of the international financial centre, he noted that its development depends not only on infrastructure but also on institutional and legal frameworks, affirming that Singapore will remain a reliable partner in supporting Vietnam’s effective development of the centre. He also agreed to deepen cooperation in clean energy and expand collaboration beyond trade to other important areas, including defence and security.
PM Wong affirmed Singapore’s continued support for Vietnam in human resources development, pledged to encourage Singaporean universities to increase scholarships, and supported stronger people-to-people exchanges. He agreed on the importance of coordinating efforts to consolidate ASEAN's unity and centrality in building a stronger, more cohesive ASEAN and promoting the bloc's connectivity initiatives.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to close coordination and effective cooperation in 2027, when Vietnam will host the APEC Year and Singapore will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship.
The Singaporean leader stressed that Singapore will continue working closely with Vietnam to develop the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries more substantively and effectively./.
