VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted Singapore as one of the country’s leading partners in the region during a reception held on May 19 in Hanoi for Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
During the meeting, the Vietnamese Government chief voiced his hope that the two legislative bodies will continue to support and create favourable conditions to boost bilateral co-operation in post-pandemic economic recovery, with a major focus on areas of Singapore’s strength and Vietnam’s demand.
PM Chinh applauded Singapore’s tremendous achievements in terms of consistently keeping up with the latest global development trends, especially in science and technology, thereby helping to raise the island city-state’s international prestige and position.
He congratulated the Singaporean sports delegation on notching up a string of successes at the ongoing 31st SEA Games, winning a total of 44 gold medals, and currently being ranked third in the medal tally.
The visit of the Singaporean parliamentary leader can be viewed as being of great significance as it has contributed to reinforcing the joint strategic partnership in a more extensive and effective manner, especially in the context that the two countries look ahead to the 50th anniversary of ties and 10 years of strategic partnership in 2023.
The Vietnamese leader said he is elated to see that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade turnover recorded positive growth, reaching US$8.3 billion in 2021, an increase of over 23% compared to 2020.
Singapore makes up the largest investor in the Vietnamese market in ASEAN, with 2,866 valid projects totally capitalised at US$ 67.56 billion.
Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) not only makes an important contribution to regional economic development, but also helps to spread the spirit of work, labour discipline, and Singaporean management thinking in the nation. Indeed, it has quickly become a successful model for economic co-operation.
The PM suggested the two sides intensify exchange visits and meeting at all levels, whilst effectively carrying out bilateral co-operation mechanisms and agreements, especially in relation to the ministerial conference on economic connectivity between both sides.
He added his high hopes that both legislative bodies would continue to support and facilitate co-operation in recovery and economic development after the pandemic, with a specific focus on areas where Singapore boasts strengths in and Vietnam has needs in, such as innovation, green energy, digital economy, and diversification of the global supply chain.
This should take place alongside enhancing economic connectivity towards a new level of "connection on a digital basis" through the effective implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in the digital economy, signed during President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's visit to Singapore in February, PM Chinh added.
He also underlined the necessity of developing VSIP in some provinces into smart, high-tech, innovative, environmentally-friendly, and energy-saving sites. This should be done whilst effectively utilising free trade agreements, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Regarding co-operation in COVID-19 prevention and control, PM Chinh congratulated Singapore on boasting the highest vaccination rate in the world, thereby moving into a period of adaptation, development, and long-term coexistence with COVID-19.
He took time to thank the island state for its valuable and timely support in medical equipment and vaccines for Vietnam, suggesting that both sides ramp up co-operation in research and production of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19 treatment.
The Vietnamese cabinet leader went on to propose that both countries bolster co-operation in defence-security, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, while simultaneously promoting areas of co-operation.
In relation to this, he asked the Singaporean side to share their experience in digital transformation, for example in the fields of tax collection, banking, and population management, whilst continuing to support the country in human resource training. Other areas include high-quality management human resources and increasing training scholarships for Vietnamese managers at all levels.
As part of this occasion, the PM thanked and suggested that Singapore continue to offer the best possible conditions for the community of roughly 13,000 Vietnamese people living, studying, and working in Singapore.
In response, Singaporean Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin highly appreciated the friendship that the host country Vietnam shown the Singapore sports delegation attending the 31st SEA Games, while highlighting the Vietnamese economy as one of the fastest growing economies throughout the region.
He believes that economic co-operation represents an important foundation for the relationship between the two sides, underlining the importance of beefing up bilateral co-operation in trade, investment, technology, and expanding into more new areas of co-operation moving forward.
Speaker Chuan-Jin informed his host about the MoU on co-operation between the two law-making bodies, affirming that, in legislative terms, the Singaporean parliament backs further co-operation between the two Governments, as well as Singaporean enterprises’ investment in Vietnam. This can be done as a way of improving the effectiveness of both nations’ friendship and co-operation ties.
The two leaders also compared notes relating to regional and global issues of mutual concern, in which ASEAN should stick to its principled stance on the East Sea, as well as seeking to resolve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). They also underlined the importance of ensuring peace, freedom, security, safety of navigation, and aviation in the East Sea.