President Tran Dai Quang hosted a reception for Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in Hanoi on September 12 on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam to attend the 20th founding anniversary of the Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in the southern province of Binh Duong.



President Tran Dai Quang receives Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean



The President thanked President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean for their warm welcome during his recent State visit to Singapore to discuss the development orientations of the two countries’ relations in the coming time and share regional and international visions on a strong and united ASEAN.

He said PM Lee Hsien Loong agreed with Vietnam’s proposal on enhancing bilateral cooperation in defence, security and fight against organised, cross-border and cyber crimes.

In this spirit, he suggested Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean promote specific collaboration in training, supporting the prevention and early warning of terrorism risks, extremism, and cyber, organised, and trans-national crimes to ensure security in the respective countries.

The President also proposed the two sides actively implement the new economic deals signed during his visit to Singapore, including one between the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and the Government Investment Corporation of Singapore (GIC) and another between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

He expressed his pleasure at the strong development of VSIP over the past 20 years, which helps connect the two economies. He said he hopes Singaporean enterprises will actively invest in Vietnam via venture capital funds while sharing information and experience to link Vietnamese firms with the global market.

Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean showed his delight at the thriving strategic partnership between Vietnam and Singapore, especially in the fields of economy, trade and investment.

The development of the seven VSIPs, including two under construction, illustrates Singapore’s interest in the Vietnamese market, he said, noting that the five active ones have attracted 600 companies from across the world and generated jobs for 170,000 workers.

The most important factor that foreign investors, including those from Singapore, eye Vietnamese market is the country’s measures to improve its investment climate, he said.

Singaporean investors are very interested in hi-tech development projects in Vietnam, especially in high added value and highly-applicable industrial sectors, he added.

Regarding the cyber security, Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean said Singapore has invited the Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security to participate in the Asian conference in October to discuss challenges in the field with ASEAN ministers and extra-bloc partners.

He confirmed the outcomes gained during the recent State visit to Singapore by President Tran Dai Quang demonstrate the growing strategic partnership between the two countries and their determination to elevate the bilateral relations to a new height.

Sharing regional and international issues of mutual concern, President Tran Dai Quang spoke highly of Singapore’s positive viewpoints on the East Sea issue and hoped the country will promote its role as a coordinator of ASEAN-China relations in issues related to the enforcement of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean said Singapore pledges to urge the involved parties to implement the DOC and soon reach the signing of the COC as a coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, adding that Singapore supports the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means line with international law.

Vietnam, Singapore Deputy PMs hold talks

Vietnam and Singapore have agreed to boost cooperation between armies, as well as in the fight against terrorism and non-traditional security crimes such as piracy, human trafficking and laundering. 




Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (R) and Singaporean Deputy PM and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean (L)


The agreement was reached during talks in Hanoi on September 12 between Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and Singaporean Deputy PM and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who is in Vietnam from September 12-14 to attend a ceremony celebrating the 20 th anniversary of Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP). 

Both sides expressed their pleasure with closer political ties over the past time via the regular exchange of visits, especially the visit by President Tran Dai Quang last month, which has created a new driver for bilateral ties in the new period. 

They hailed economic-trade ties as a bright spot in the two countries’ relationship. Singapore is one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners with two-way trade hitting 9.3 billion USD last year. The country is also the third biggest investor in Vietnam. 

Teo Chee Hean said the VSIP expansion in all the three regions of Vietnam demonstrates effective cooperation between the two countries and reflects Singaporean investors’ strong confidence in the potential and investment environment in Vietnam. 

Host and guest welcomed the 12 th meeting of the Framework Agreement on Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity slated for Singapore this month, agreed to jointly tap advantages brought about by the Trans-Pacific Partnership and enhance joint work in justice and law, education-training, culture and tourism. 

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they vowed to work closely together at regional and global forums, especially within ASEAN and the United Nations. 

The two officials pledged to promote solidarity and maintain the central role of ASEAN in the regional security architecture and affirmed ASEAN’s common stance on the settlement of disputes in the region They underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety in the East Sea as well as the settlement of disputes in the waters by peaceful means, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. 

The host also accepted the Singaporean Deputy PM’s invitation to visit Singapore. The timing of the visit will be arranged via diplomatic channel.

VSIP symbolises Vietnam-Singapore fruitful cooperation

The Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) has become a symbol for the win-win cooperation between the two countries, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has said.

She made the remark at a reception for Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in Hanoi on September 12 on his official visit to Vietnam to attend the 20th anniversary of the VSIP in the southern province of Binh Duong.

The top legislator expressed her satisfaction at the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore in various fields, saying the mutual trust between the two governments and their people will boost the bilateral strategic partnership.

She highly valued Singapore’s close coordination in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the United Nations (UN), and hopes the country will continue supporting Vietnam as the host of APEC Summit in 2017.

She also hailed the sound cooperative ties between the two parliaments, highlighting the visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Halimah Yacob in April 2015 to attend the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU-132) General Aassembly significantly contributed to the success of the event.

Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean underlined the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore in economy, education, defence and security.

He noted that the five active VSIPs have attracted 600 foreign companies and generated jobs for about 170,000 locals.

He expressed his belief that Vietnam’s engagement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will enable the country to draw more investment and integrate deeper into the world.

The Deputy PM agreed with the NA Chairwoman’s proposal on furthering parliamentary ties and recommended the two sides soon establish friendship parliamentarians’ groups in the respective countries to increase experience sharing in legislative work.

At the meeting, Singaporean parliamentarians said the new Law on Investment, which came into force in 2015, has encouraged Singaporean businesses to promote business and investment in Vietnam.

VNA