Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan arrived in Changi International Airport on November 26 afternoon, starting her official visit to Singapore. 

Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Deputy Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Lim Biow Chuan

NA Chairwoman Ngan was welcomed at the airport by Deputy Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Nguyen Tien Minh and staff of the embassy. 

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties on August 1, 1973, the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore have progressed effectively on the pillars of politics; economy; national defence-security; education, law, health care, culture-arts-sports; and cooperation at regional and international forums. 

As of September 2017, Singapore was the third largest foreign investor among 126 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with over 1,917 projects worth more than 41.5 billion USD. 

Vietnam poured some 241 million USD into 65 projects in the island state, placing Singapore at the 12th place out of 68 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese outbound investments in oil and gas, mining, information technology and services. 

Over the past years, the Vietnamese and Singaporean legislatures have maintained the exchange of visits by high-ranking parliament leaders and officials. Apart from discussing law-building and legal supervision, they have contributed to promoting bilateral trade and investment. 

The two sides have worked closely together at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). 

They have offered mutual consultations and shared similar stances on the settlement of security and environment issues in the region. 

This is the first visit to Singapore by a top Vietnamese legislator after 14 years since the previous trip by NA Chairman Nguyen Van An in 2003.

The visit is an important diplomatic activity to strengthen the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership, towards celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.-VNA