Singapore (VNA) – Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong of Singaporehave expressed their satisfaction with the vigorous growth in the two countries' relations in recent years, especially since the establishment of a strategic partnership five years ago.

The Vietnameseleader paid a courtesy call to the Singaporean President and had talks with hiscounterpart on April 25.

At the events,the Singaporean leaders welcomed PM Phuc’s first official visit to Singapore,stressing that the trip is a milestone in the celebration of the 45th anniversary ofthe two countries’ diplomatic ties and five years of the strategic partnership.

They congratulatedVietnam on multiple development achievements and spoke highly of the country’s resolveto build an incorruptible and growth enabling government.

PM Phuccongratulated Singapore on remaining an economic highlight of the region andalways taking the lead in new economic and scientific trends in the world.

Both sides notedthat their countries’ cooperation has developed stably in all aspects on thebasis of the trustworthy political relationship. Singapore is always one of thetop 10 trade partners and the third biggest investor of Vietnam with 2,000projects worth 43 billion USD.

During their talks, PMs Phuc and Lee sought ways to grasp opportunitiesof regional economic links generated by the Comprehensive and ProgressiveAgreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to which both Vietnam andSingapore are signatories, and the fourth industrial revolution.

Host and guest agreed to maintain political trust and ties throughall-level delegation exchanges via the Party, State, Government, NationalAssembly and people-to-people exchange channels.

The two sides will join hands to organise the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and the 5th anniversaryof the strategic partnership, especially cultural programmes andpeople-to-people exchanges.

They will also increase consultations and expand cooperation betweenparties, while stepping up affiliation in national defence and security, withattention paid to practical collaboration between naval, aviation and searchand rescue forces, and in defence technology.

They agreed to coordinate with each other in settling common securitychallenges such as piracy and terrorism, ensuring navigation security andsafety, as well as cyber security.

In the sphere of economy, PM Lee Hsien Loong pledged that Singapore willincrease its investments in Vietnam in new, high-tech, high-value andenvironmentally friendly areas like clean energy, waste treatment, waterresources management, and high-tech park and smart city building. 

[Photos:ꦕ Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan 🅘Phuc on official visit to Singapore]

Singapore stands ready to share its experience with and support Vietnamin building seaports and developing logistic services and high-techagriculture, and invest in Vietnamese technological start-ups, he said, notingthat Singapore will consider facilitating the access of Vietnamese exports, especiallyagro-forestry-fishery products, to the Singaporean market.

Stressing the significance of cooperation in personnel training, thehost affirmed that Singapore will increase scholarships for Vietnamese studentsand help Vietnam with English language teaching and labour training.

The two sides recognised the new strides in cooperation in connectivitypromotion, finance and science-technology, which have greatly contributed totheir countries’ economic development. They agreed to expand connections inthese potential fields through increasing flights linking big cities of Vietnamlike Da Lat and Nha Trang with Singapore. They will further cooperate in themanagement of the financial and stock markets and supporting big Vietnamesebusinesses in listing on the stock market. The countries are also set to step upinitiatives and joint projects on innovation and intellectual property, whileworking together to commercialise intellectual property, share the applicationof patents, and provide training in intellectual property.

Aside from bilateral cooperation, the two PMs also discussedinternational and regional issues of shared concern. They pledged to enhancebilateral ties at international forums, especially within the framework of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC), and the United Nations.

PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam supports and is ready tocoordinate with Singapore in ASEAN Year 2018 to consolidate ASEAN’s solidarityand central role in the region, towards building a resilient, innovative andunited ASEAN that plays a central role in the region and the world.

At the talks, the two sides affirmed the importance ofmaintaining peace and stability in the region along with freedom of navigationand aviation in the East Sea, not threatening to use or using force, respecting all diplomatic and legal processes, peacefully resolving disputes on the basis ofinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS).

They reiterated their support for the full and effectiveimplementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)and early finalisation of an effective and binding Code of Conduct (COC) ofparties in the waters.

The meeting and the talks took place in a friendly and straightforwardmanner with mutual understanding.

On this occasion, the two PMs approved a joint statement onthe visit and witnessed the signing of several cooperation deals, including amemorandum of understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation in environmental andwater issues between Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmentand Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and another MoU on cooperation in standards and conformance areas between Vietnam’sMinistry of Science and Technology and Singapore’s Ministry of InternationalTrade and Industry.

The State Bank of Vietnam and the Monetary Authority ofSingapore also signed a MoU on financial innovation and another on cooperation andinformation exchange in banking inspection and supervision. Meanwhile, Vietnam’sMinistry of Industry and Trade and Singapore’s Ministry of International Tradeand Industry inked MoUs on cooperation in renewable energy and in investing and developing liquefied natural gas import projects.

On April 25 evening, PM Phuc, his spouse and thehigh-ranking delegation of Vietnam attended a banquet hosted by Singaporean PMLee and his spouse at the Istana Palace.-VNA