Many new cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Singapore

At the invitation of the Secretary General of the People's Action Party (PAP), Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam will lead a high-ranking delegation on an official visit to the Republic of Singapore from March 11-13.

In an interview with VNA, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh said that this is General Secretary To Lam’s first visit to Singapore as General Secretary. The visit is of special significance, marking a new step forward in bilateral relations.

General Secretary To Lam had a phone call with Secretary General of the People's Action Party (PAP) and Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

The visit has three main meanings: One is to demonstrate the importance of promoting relations with Singapore to a new height, in line with Vietnam's foreign policy and guidelines. Two is to further deepen the relationship between the two Parties, creating a solid political foundation for bilateral relations. Three is to promote the potential for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of green economy, digital economy, science, technology and innovation, clean energy, financial centers, etc.

In addition, the activities during the visit also conveyed policy messages on science, technology and innovation in the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo; and learned from Singapore's experience and promoted investment in a number of areas of interest to Vietnam.

"This visit not only affirms the strong commitment of both sides in developing the current strategic partnership, but also opens up many new cooperation opportunities, contributing to the prosperity and sustainable development of both countries," said Ambassador Tran Phuoc Anh.

Vietnam and Singapore are moving towards upgrading the framework of their bilateral strategic partnership to a new level. According to Ambassador Tran Phuoc Anh, upgrading the relationship is the beginning of a new phase, but the core issue is how to implement the content of the new relationship to bring about practical results for the people of the two countries.

According to the Ambassador, first of all, the two countries need to develop a specific action plan with clear people, tasks, deadlines and responsibilities. Both sides need to invest sufficient resources (time, people, finance, technology) in key programs, projects and areas. In the immediate future, there are offshore wind energy projects between the Vietnam Oil and Gas Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) and Sembcorp Utility; upgrading Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks for the next phase; low-carbon finance, data centers, etc.

The two sides also need to coordinate their stances on regional and international issues, especially within the framework of ASEAN and other multilateral forums, to promote peace, stability and sustainable development in the region, making the Vietnam-Singapore relationship a model in bilateral cooperation, especially in the economic field, thereby promoting solidarity within ASEAN.

Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong. (Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper)

Professor Vu Minh Khuong (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy) assessed that Vietnam and Singapore have a lot of potential to strengthen their comprehensive strategic relationship. He said that Vietnam is entering a new era with three important highlights: First, institutions and structures will become Vietnam's outstanding strengths in the coming time. Second, Vietnam focuses a lot on the fields of science, technology, and innovation. Third, Vietnam is taking quick steps from policy making to implementation in practice. That shows that if Vietnam strengthens its relationship with Singapore more deeply, the two countries will be able to create many positive results.

After the Paris Agreement on restoring peace in Vietnam was signed (January 1973), Singapore was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) on August 1, 1973.

Since the two countries established a Strategic Partnership in September 2013, Vietnam-Singapore relations have deepened on all five pillars: deepening political relations of mutual trust; strengthening economic cooperation; enhancing security and defense cooperation; promoting cooperation in other fields and enhancing cooperation at international and multilateral forums.

Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) are symbols of economic cooperation between the two countries. From the first Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) launched in 1996 in Binh Duong, to date, Vietnam is the country where Singapore has built the most industrial parks in the world with 18 VSIPs in 10 provinces and cities, attracting more than 18 billion USD in investment capital and about 900 projects, creating jobs for more than 300,000 workers. VSIPs are truly beacons of economic cooperation between the two countries, not only contributing to promoting industrialization and modernization in Vietnam, but also contributing to the supply chain and economic connectivity in the region.

Another important milestone, Singapore is the first country with which Vietnam established a Digital Economy - Green Economy Partnership during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Singapore in February 2023. Previously, in October 2022, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on carbon credits, in line with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/nhieu-co-hoi-hop-tac-moi-giua-viet-nam-va-singapore-211121.html