Singaporean PM’s visit helps promote Vietnam - Singapore strategic partnership

This statement was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung during a recent media interview held to discuss the significance and importance of the visit, agreement documents, and areas in which the two sides should seek to sign and strengthen co-operation moving forward.

According to Ambassador Dung, Singaporean PM Lee has visited Vietnam many times, meaning he is both familiar with the country and the Vietnamese people. He has visited Vietnam in 2004, 2010, 2013, and 2017, with this trip by PM Lee set to be his fifth visit to Vietnam in his capacity as PM.

This shows the closeness and cohesion that exists between both sides, with the visit being part of a string of events organised by the two sides on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. It is also a return visit following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's Singapore visit made in February.

During the trip, PM Lee is set to attend a series of activities and important functions demonstrating the comprehensive co-operation and mutual trust.
Regarding the implementation of the results achieved following PM Chinh's visit to Singapore in February, the Vietnamese diplomat noted that the two sides achieved numerous specific results, such as carrying out existing bilateral co-operation programmes and signing many collaboration agreements in a multitude of new fields, such as the digital economy, the green economy, economic-trade co-operation, maritime linkages, and innovation.

An important highlight of the Vietnamese Government chief's visit is the Memorandum of Understanding relating to the establishment of the Digital Economy-Green Economy Partnership between both sides, with this being a priority area for development of both nations.

Recent times have seen the two sides ramp up efforts to enhance exchanges to focus on co-operation areas towards signing many more agreements in the near future.

On the Vietnamese side, the PM signed a decision on August 2 to establish an interdisciplinary working group in a bid to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the digital and green economy partnership. This is a field of co-operation which boasts plenty of room and great potential for broader co-operation between the two countries over the coming years.

​Regarding the digital economy, the two sides are due to ramp up co-operation in developing and connecting digital government, digital economy, and digital society, including sharing and connecting national databases.

On the green economy, the two countries' goals are similar, which is to strive to reduce emissions to zero by 2050, whilst the two countries will also focus on building ties in the field of clean energy and green energy in the coming time.

PM Chinh has made commitments for the nation to get ready to sell renewable energy to Singapore, with the two sides in the process of speeding work to concretise this agreement.

Moreover, the two countries continue to accelerate the implementation of existing co-operation programs. This year the Vietnamese Government continues to license and decide on investment policies for many Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) in provinces and cities such as Nghe An, Lang Son, Binh Thuan, and Thai Binh.

Experience learning programmes for senior Party and State officials, state-owned enterprises have resumed operation after a period of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two sides are also making positive strides in co-operation in areas such as justice, high-quality human resource development, and infrastructure development, he went on to say.

The Ambassador said he believes that based on the fine results of collaboration in the Singaporean leader’s trip, the two sides will continue sorting out and implementing agreements reached in PM Chinh’s Singapore visit in February.

The two nations are expected to sign an agreement on carbon credit. If inked, this will be the first of its kind that Singapore has reached with a country in the world, as it wishes the deal will be a model for co-operation between ASEAN member states, he continued.

The Vietnamese side will extend the signing of the framework agreement on connecting the two economies, which will be expanded to feature new areas such as green economy, digital economy, and innovation.

Concerning human resources development, the two sides can promote co-operation in education and training, as well as in training skilled human resources and senior managers of the State and state-owned enterprises.

They will also strive to increase high-level working meetings to fast-track the implementation of existing co-operation programmes, the diplomat said, adding that between eight and 10 very important documents across multiple fields will be signed during this visit.