Vietnam seeks closer relations with Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia

During a meeting with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the strategic partnership with Singapore, and wants to work closely with the island nation to bring bilateral ties to new heights.

For his part, PM Lee expressed his desire to constantly promote the Singapore-Vietnam Strategic Partnership in a comprehensive and extensive manner.

He highly appreciated Vietnam’s successes in the COVID-19 fight and economic development, while simultaneously thanking Vietnam for facilitating Singapore’s trade and investment activities in the country.

Chinh proposed that both countries promote the exchange of high-level visits, saying Vietnam welcomes a Hanoi visit in June 2021 by the Singapore Foreign Minister on the occasion of an ASEM high-level dialogue.

In addition, he said the two sides also need to accelerate negotiations on a flexible priority travel mechanism that serves to support the resumption of commercial routes between the two countries and to promote bilateral economic and tourism cooperation.

He spoke highly of the efficient operation of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) and expected the model would be replicated in Vietnam. He also proposed Singapore continue to grant short- and long-term scholarships to Vietnam.  

Lee welcomed Chinh’s proposals and said Singapore will work on these matters.

The two PMs agreed to ramp up cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums, especially ASEAN and APEC. They will work closely with other partners to complete the ratification and effectively implement the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

They also consented to work together to maintain ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, internationally known as the South China Sea, and support the grouping’s role in addressing the Myanmar crisis.

In his meeting with Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and gives the top priority to consolidating the fine neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.

He stressed that Vietnam always stays ready to assist Cambodia to prevent the pandemic. In such spirit, Vietnam provided US$500,000 together with 800 respirators, 2 million medical masks and 300,000 N-95 masks for Cambodia.

Chinh suggested Cambodia continue offering support to the Vietnamese community in the country, especially in handling legal documents to help them stabilise lives.

Hun Sen, for his part, affirmed that Cambodia highly values its traditional friendship and neighbourliness with Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for offering valuable material and experience support to Cambodia to fight the pandemic.

Despite the pandemic, two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia doubled to US$2.69 billion in the first half of this year.  

The two PMs agreed to work closely together to monitor border areas and conduct vaccination to the two nations’ citizens. They hailed the exchange of two legal documents approving 84 percent of border demarcation and consented to do the remaining work in the near future.
           
The Vietnamese PM proposed Cambodia support Vietnam’s launch of a centre on emerging diseases and medical contingencies.

They vowed to work with other ASEAN member states to step up negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the conversation with Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, Chinh wished to reinforce ties with Malaysia in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Yassin said he believes that with achievements in pandemic control, socio-economic stability and success in external relations, Vietnam will reap further successes in socio-economic development, thus improving its stature in the region and the world.

The two PMs promised to expand bilateral coordination in various fields in the near future, including maintaining all-level exchanges, both online and offline. The two countries will also hold the sixth meeting of the Vietnam – Malaysia Inter-Committee for Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and the fourth meeting of the Trade Joint Committee, towards raising two-way trade to US$15 billion.

The two sides pledged to offer mutual support within the ASEAN framework and at regional and global forums, continue upholding ASEAN’s role in the East Sea issue, seriously abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon reach a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, heads of delegations of Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar also paid courtesy calls to PM Chinh, and wished that he would continue boosting bilateral ties.