Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore build on friendship to drive new cooperation
VOV.VN - Building on decades of friendship, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore are looking to broaden cooperation in areas tied to new development needs, including the green economy, digital transformation, innovation, education, human resource development and people-to-people exchanges.
The message was highlighted at a gathering in Ho Chi Minh City on August 19 to mark Singapore’s 61st National Day, where representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association and the Singapore Consulate General discussed ways to turn the long-standing friendship between the two sides into more concrete cooperation.
From friendship to new growth opportunities
Lam Dung Tien, chairman of the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association - Ho Chi Minh City chapter, said Vietnam-Singapore relations have developed substantially over more than half a century, particularly since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.
For Ho Chi Minh City, he noted, this creates room to expand engagement in technology, high-quality services, logistics, finance, trade, green development and innovation, alongside established cooperation in education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
Taking the floor, Singapore Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Pang Te Cheng said recent cooperation in education, science and technology, advanced manufacturing, agricultural trade, innovation and human resource development showed that bilateral ties were becoming increasingly substantive, with Ho Chi Minh City serving as an important location for turning these areas into practical initiatives.
The two sides are also exploring cooperation in agriculture and sustainable development, including links between industry associations and a proposal to develop rice-drying and silo-storage systems in the Mekong Delta to improve post-harvest preservation and stabilise agricultural supply.
These efforts reflect a broader shift from building connections to creating tangible value from them, with business links, technology and innovation increasingly complementing traditional areas of cooperation.
Bringing closer ties to the people
People-to-people exchanges remain an important foundation for sustaining the relationship at the local level.
The Singapore Consulate General and Ho Chi Minh City authorities have organised cultural and educational activities, alumni networking, scholarships, community initiatives and business exchanges, helping strengthen links between the two societies.
The Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association also hopes to establish a Vietnam-Singapore culture and friendship space as a venue for community exchanges and a platform connecting entrepreneurs, students, academics and social organisations.
Tien said friendship should translate into practical opportunities, allowing businesses to find partners, students and academics to expand exchanges, and people from both sides to gain a better understanding of each other’s cultures and societies.
Education and human resource development are seen as particularly promising. Internship programs, academic exchanges, alumni networks and partnerships between educational institutions could help build a generation of professionals familiar with both Vietnam and Singapore, creating long-term connections in technology, finance, management, innovation and entrepreneurship.
From economic and technology links to community and educational exchanges, Ho Chi Minh City-Singapore ties are gaining new momentum, with long-standing friendship increasingly serving as a foundation for more practical and sustainable cooperation.
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