Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister  Lee Hsien Loong on July 31 as part of his ongoing official visit to the country. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) meets with Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob.

President Halimah Yacob noted with pleasure the positive development of the Vietnam-Singapore relationship after the two countries established their bilateral diplomatic ties 45 years ago and the Strategic Partnership five years back. 

She highlighted the effective cooperation in various areas between the two countries, especially in tourism and people-to-people exchange, citing nearly 300,000 Singaporean tourists to Vietnam so far this year and more than 140 direct flights per week. 

The leader thanked Vietnam for its support to and close cooperation with Singapore in 2018 when the latter assumes the post of the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

As the ASEAN Chair, Singapore wishes to promote an ASEAN of unity, self-reliance and creativity, she said, adding that ASEAN should take the lead in grasping trends of the present era to serve development goals, narrow the development gap and effectively overcome security challenges. 

Minh conveyed President Tran Dai Quang’s invitation to the President and her spouse to soon pay an official visit to Vietnam. 

He stressed that Singapore is always Vietnam’s leading trade and investment partner, with two-way trade hitting 8.6 billion USD and Singapore’s total investment capital in Vietnam reaching 43 billion USD in 2017, affirming that Vietnam will continue to coordinate with Singaporean partners to maintain the pace. 

At a meeting with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Minh reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of always attaching importance to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. 

He thanked Singapore for going along with Vietnam in its development and integration, especially Singapore’s support in high-quality personnel training and its sharing of experience in macro management. 

Minh described the success of nine Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks in Vietnam as a symbol and model of the bilateral ties and suggested Singapore shift investment to the technology sector, thus matching trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

In response, PM Lee Hsien Loong said Minh’s suggestion also matches Singapore’s investment trend. 

He recalled PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Singapore last April, during which the two sides agreed to step up cooperation in such new areas as smart urban and renewable energy and pushed to build a number of high-tech zones in Vietnam in the time ahead. 

Talking about regional and international cooperation, host and guest emphasised the need to ensure the principles of maintaining peace, stability, security, and navigation and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as handling disputes by peaceful measures and respecting international law.

They also consented to promote the common voice and the central role of ASEAN in the evolving regional structure. 

Minh spoke highly of the successes Singapore has reaped as the ASEAN Chair, as well as the sharing of viewpoints and common interests of the two sides in many strategic issues, including those on promoting free trade, and regional and international economic connectivity and integration. 

Besides, the two sides have closely coordinated with each other in ratifying and bringing into effect the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to which both are signatories, he noted. 

The Singaporean leader said the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership is one of the most effective and trustworthy relations as the two sides share many interests, both bilaterally and multilaterally. 

Vietnam, Singapore see strong all-round growth in strategic partnership

Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (left) and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. 

Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan shared their positive evaluations of the growth of the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership during their talks in Singapore on July 31, as part of Minh’s ongoing visit to Singapore.

The two sides noted that along with close political relations, Vietnam and Singapore have organised regular delegation exchanges channelled through the Party, State, parliament, and people-to-people connection.

They agreed that Vietnam and Singapore share many common strategic interests and visions for security and development in each country, as well as important issues in the region.

The two sides will closely coordinate to fully and effectively implement high-level agreements, especially those reached during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Singapore in April 2018. They will also continue to increase delegation exchanges, consultations, and experience sharing on policy planning, thus maintaining strong growth and better exploiting opportunities to elevate bilateral ties.

Minh and Balakrishnan concurred that the potential for both sides to further enhance two-way trade is high, as the countries are members of both regional free trade agreements and the new generation of trade connection mechanisms such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Minister Balakrishnan lauded Vietnam’s proposal to increase the sales of Vietnamese farm produce such as rice, coffee, pepper, and vegetables on the Singaporean market.

Minh said he highly values Singapore’s role as a leading investor and trade partner of Vietnam with over 2,000 projects worth 43 billion USD, including nine Vietnam -Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP).

Balakrishnan highlighted that Singapore has been investing in Vietnam since the 1990s. He appreciated that Vietnam has created optimal conditions for Singaporean firms to operate in the country, promptly solving obstacles facing them and responding to their proposals.

The two sides also agreed to promote collaboration in education and training, labour, tourism, culture, and people-to-people connections. Activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, including the Vietnamese culture and food day, have helped enhance mutual understanding of each other’s nations.

Minh and Balakrishnan pledged that the two sides will continue to work closely at regional and international forums, especially within the ASEAN.

Minh said that Vietnam highly values the role of Singapore as the ASEAN Chair for 2018, vowing that it would support Singapore in implementing the targets set.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides agreed that ASEAN should firmly uphold the common standpoint and agreed principles, while continuing to show the viewpoints in its documents.

All parties should ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), including trust-building measures as well as regulations on restraint from actions that may complicate the situation or escalate disputes, they underlined.

Minh spoke highly of Singapore’s efforts in speeding up negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

On the occasion, Minh and Balakrishnan signed a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese and Singaporean governments on operation principles of the Vietnam-Singapore Cooperation Centre. 

The current Vietnam – Singapore Training Centre will be upgraded into the Vietnam-Singapore Cooperation Centre and the deal will help create the legal framework for the expansion of its operation, from organising short-term training courses for the public sector to other areas such as approving development and urban planning solutions, development consultations, and technical and vocational training. The centre will also help Vietnam in food quarantine, agro-fisheries, cyber security, and community development projects.

The same day, Minh paid a courtesy call to Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Minh, his spouse and the Vietnamese delegation also laid flowers at the President Ho Chi Minh statue in the Asian Civilisations Museum. 

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan hold talks on July 31 Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has a meeting with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob on July 31 Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong (R) welcomes Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh on July 31 Singapore has become Vietnam’s most important economic partner in ASEAN with more than 2,000 investment projects worth 43 billion USD and two-way trade reaching 8.3 billion USD in 2017 The Vietnamese delegation pays respect to late President Ho Chi Minh at his statue at the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore

VNA