Prime Minister leaves for official visit to Singapore

This is Pham's first visit to Singapore since he took office and the fifth visit of a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Singapore in 15 years.

Pham is accompanied by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Trade and Industry Nguyen Hong Dien, Chairman of the Commission for Management of State Capital at Enterprises Nguyen Hoang Anh, Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Office Bui Van Thach, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Van Tuyen, and Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do.

The visit is expected to create a strong momentum for further deepening the strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Singapore and consolidating peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia.

Althought focus in the relations has always been on the economic aspect which is very important, the visit would highlight two other pillars of our relationship firstly the political relationship, according to Singaporean Ambassador to Viet Nam Jaya Ratnam.

Ambassador Jaya Ratnam went on to say that economic cooperation has been the cornerstone for the bilateral relationship.

The two-way trade reached US$8.3 billion in 2021 and rose to around US$9 billion in 2022. Singapore is the biggest ASEAN investor in Viet Nam and ranks second among 141 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.

By the end of 2022, Singaporean investors committed to pour US$70.8 billion in 3,095 projects in Viet Nam.

The diplomat however said that the economic and political aspects of the two countries' relationship can not grow, can not succeed, can not thrive if both countries do not have strong people-to-people relationship.

"I think people-to-people relationship between our two countries would be the firm foundation for all other aspects of bilateral cooperation," emphasized the diplomat./.