[HANOI] With recently elevated relations, strong people-to-people ties and like-minded leaders, Singapore and Vietnam’s relationship will continue to grow from strength to strength, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Mar 25), the first day of his two-day introductory visit to the Vietnamese capital.
He made these remarks at an official dinner hosted by Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Office of Government.
In a toast speech, PM Wong said that the two countries’ bilateral ties are “now at a high point”, with economic cooperation “stronger than ever”.
He highlighted that the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks have expanded “in both number and impact” over the years. There are 20 such parks today, which have attracted over US$23 billion worth of investments and created 320,000 Vietnamese jobs.
The upgrade of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two states sets out a road map for deepening and expanding cooperation, so that it stays relevant and updated amid rapid global changes, PM Wong said.
He reiterated that it would cover “new areas of cooperation” such as renewable energy, carbon credits, subsea cable connectivity and the digital economy. At the same time, emerging challenges such as scams and cybercrimes will be addressed.
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“Both sides are committed to ensuring swift and speedy progress in implementing the CSP,” he said.
PM Wong also highlighted the “steady flow” of people moving between the two countries, whether for tourism, work or studies.
Noting Singapore’s role in Vietnam’s human resource development, he said that Vietnam has been the most active participant in the Singapore Cooperation Programme, with more than 22,000 officials having attended the courses.
Many of these were conducted at the Vietnam-Singapore Cooperation Centre in Hanoi, he added.
PM Wong also recognised Chinh as a “like-minded and forward-looking partner”.
He has been an advocate for Vietnam’s transformation through the three “strategic breakthroughs” of institutional reform, digital infrastructure and human resource development; and through advancement in strategic areas such as the green economy – which aligns with Singapore’s priorities and the CSP’s agenda.
“We welcome your encouragement for Singapore companies to grow their presence here in Vietnam, in sectors like low-carbon power, and we look forward to the Vietnam government’s support for such projects,” he said.
“All in all, we have firm foundations for our bilateral relations to continue flourishing in the coming years,” PM Wong concluded.
Also speaking at the dinner, Chinh agreed that the two countries’ relationship is “built on solid political trust, extensive economic connectivity and close-knit human links that aim for a shared future of sustainable, green and innovative growth towards prosperity”.
It has become a model of a “dynamic, high-performance relationship within Asean” that would advance collaborative mechanisms within the region and beyond, he added.
With the CSP, Singapore and Vietnam will be the “nucleus of solidarity” to build a strong Asean, and contribute to regional and international peace, stability, cooperation and development, Chinh said.
PM Wong had arrived in Hanoi earlier on Tuesday, where he was received by Vietnam Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung.
He is scheduled to meet National Assembly of Vietnam chairman Tran Thanh Man on Wednesday. He will also call on President Luong Cuong and To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
This trip is the sixth in PM Wong’s series of introductory visits to South-east Asian nations since he was sworn in last May. He has already travelled to Brunei, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia and Thailand.
