Viet Nam President holds talks with visiting Singaporean counterpart

In his summit meeting with President Yacob on Monday, President Nguyen expressed his wish that Singapore would soon realize the targets enshrined in its Green Plan 2030 which is a whole-of-nation movement to advance Singapore's national agenda on sustainable development.

President Yacob congratulated on Viet Nam's achievements in management of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery and development, affirming that Viet Nam remains the leading partner of her country in the region.

The two Presidents expressed their pleasure at the dynamic and robust growth of the relationship between the two countries, especially in economic area as the two-way trade increased by 23.9 percent to US$8 billion in 2021 and by 16 percent to nearly US$7 billion in the first nine months this year.

Singapore is the second largest foreign investor in Viet Nam with 3,003 projects capitalized at more than US$70 billion.

Progress has also be recorded in other domains like defense-security, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges, the two leaders noted.

For the time ahead, they agreed that both countries should step up the exchange of high-level delegations, effectively maintain cooperation across the Party, Government, and Parliament channels, coordinate in organizing events to mark the 50^th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties and 10^th founding anniversary of the strategic partnership in 2023, and ceaselessly expand economic ties.

The pair also agreed to further promote cooperation in defense and security, including effective implementation of the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in February 2022 and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cyber Security, Cybercrime Prevention, Data Flows and Personal Data Protection Cooperation signed on the occasion of President Yacob's ongoing visit to Viet Nam.

President Nguyen suggested Singapore help Viet Nam to engage deeper in the global supply chain, coordinate with Viet Nam in effectively implementing seven areas of the Viet Nam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Agreement, and developing the Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks into green and high-tech parks.

He took the occasion to thank Singapore and called on the country to continue assistance for Viet Nam in improving the quality of human resources, expanding the network of tech incubators in Viet Nam, and developing national innovative startup support centers in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Comparing notes on regional and international situation, the two leaders reaffirmed their consistent position of ASEAN on the East Sea and the significance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, and peacefully addressing disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

After the talks, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of the following documents: (i) The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Viet Nam Ministry of Industry and Trade  and the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Energy Cooperation; (ii) the MOU between the Viet Nam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and MTI on Carbon Credits Collaboration; (iii) the MOU between the Viet Nam Directorate of Vocational Education and Training and the Singapore Institute of Technical Education on Cooperation in the Field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training; and (d) the MOU between the Viet Nam Ministry of Public Security and the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information and on Cyber Security, Cybercrime Prevention, Data Flows and Personal Data Protection Cooperation.

The two leaders also witnessed an investment license presentation to Sembcorp's joint venture, the VSIP Joint Stock Company, to develop the 12^th Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), located in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The same day, President Yaco paid courtesy call on Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue./.