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| National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (Source: VNA) |
On the afternoon of August 28, at the National Assembly House, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Welcoming Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's official visit to Vietnam, the National Assembly Chairman assessed that the visit has special significance in the year the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1973-2023).
Congratulating Singapore on its recovery and continued strong development after the Covid-19 pandemic, always maintaining a high ranking in the group of 20 most competitive economies in the world, the National Assembly Chairman emphasized that Singapore has always been a typical example of national governance, corporate governance, anti-corruption, a model of clean, transparent, effective and smart administration; a deeply integrated economy while still maintaining its cultural identity and high community cohesion.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanked National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue for his warm welcome. Congratulating the 78th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day, the Prime Minister expressed his pleasure to make an official visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership.
The National Assembly Chairman highly appreciated the results of the effective and substantive talks between the two Prime Ministers that took place the same morning, witnessing the signing of seven cooperation documents (it is expected that several other documents will continue to be signed during the visit); the two sides have completed the upgrading of the Vietnam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Framework Agreement.
The head of the Vietnamese National Assembly expressed his delight at witnessing the increasingly positive and substantive development of the bilateral relationship over the past half century in all areas. Political relations have become increasingly close and trustworthy through enhanced cooperation and exchange of delegations at all levels and channels, including the Party, National Assembly, Government, localities and businesses of the two countries.
The National Assembly Chairman emphasized that the two sides need to effectively implement the Green Economy - Digital Economy Partnership (established in February 2023), promoting new areas of cooperation (digital connectivity, digital society, circular economy, innovation, clean energy, etc.). These are global issues and Singapore has strengths.
Along with that, the two sides continue to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation more deeply and effectively. The two governments continue to expand the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) model, while transforming towards green - clean - smart and moving towards developing an industrial - urban ecosystem. According to the National Assembly Chairman, in this process, the urban part and the use of renewable energy need to be given more attention and promotion...
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore is interested in developing renewable energy and is ready to support Vietnam as well as discuss potential cooperation projects in this field to export renewable energy to Singapore. According to him, carbon credit is an area where the two sides can cooperate, especially when both countries have the goal of reducing net emissions to zero by 2050.
Emphasizing that VSIP is a symbol of successful cooperation between the two countries, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that Singapore currently has 13 VSIP zones in Vietnam; expressing hope that there will be more VSIP zones in the future, with the addition of new, green elements, and areas dedicated to using renewable energy...
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| National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (Source: VNA) |
At the meeting, the two leaders emphasized the need to promote cooperation in key areas such as defense, security, labor, education and training, culture (the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cultural exchange and cooperation), and people-to-people exchange may be considered soon.
In particular, the two countries are always among the top tourist markets of each other, and it is necessary to open more direct flights from Singapore to tourist destinations in Vietnam and expand the connection of cruise ships and cruise ships between the two countries. This is an open and very effective area of cooperation. Increasing flights and cruise ships through the two countries to a third country will contribute to boosting the economies of both Vietnam and Singapore.
Sharing that the Vietnamese National Assembly agreed to apply e-visas to citizens of all countries, increase the duration of e-visas from 30 days to 90 days, extend the duration of stay for citizens of countries that Vietnam unilaterally exempts from visas to 45 days (an increase of 30 days), etc., the National Assembly Chairman stated that the Vietnamese National Assembly always supports and creates favorable conditions for the successful signing and implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries; at the same time, he suggested that the two sides soon complete negotiations and related procedures so that important cooperation documents can be signed in the near future, such as the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; Extradition Agreement; Agreement on Transfer of Convicted Persons; Memorandum of Understanding on Search and Rescue Cooperation.
The National Assembly Chairman proposed that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong support the two countries' National Assemblies to effectively implement the Cooperation Agreement between the two National Assemblies (signed in May 2022), as a legal basis to further promote substantive and effective relations between the two legislative bodies; increase delegation exchanges at all levels, especially between leaders of the National Assemblies/Parliaments, specialized committees and parliamentarians of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, exchange experiences in parliamentary activities and issues of mutual concern.
The two sides will increase the exchange of experience in building and perfecting the legal system to serve socio-economic development, especially cooperation in the two global fields of digital economy and digital society. Vietnam wishes to share and learn from experience in building a legal framework for very important issues such as carbon markets, green finance mobilization, and global minimum taxes. The two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in personnel training.
The two leaders emphasized the importance of building a united and self-reliant ASEAN community, promoting the central role of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA); maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, resolving disputes by peaceful means, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and promptly completing negotiations on an effective, efficient, substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On this occasion, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong respectfully invited National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to pay an official visit to Singapore soon. The National Assembly Chairman thanked him and said he would arrange to visit Singapore at an appropriate time.
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