To concretize agreements and create tangible results.

To commemorate this milestone in bilateral relations, Singapore hopes to strengthen political trust and mutual understanding at the highest level.

Singapore President Halimah Yacob visits VSIP Bac Ninh Industrial Park, October 18, 2022. (Source: VNA)

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Singapore. Successive generations of leaders from both countries have successfully built upon the foundation laid by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.

Promoting connection and mutual understanding.

Singapore has always been a strong supporter of Vietnam's human resource development efforts. More than 21,000 Vietnamese officials have participated in training courses under the Singapore Cooperation Program.

The Vietnamese community in Singapore is quite large, numbering around 15,000 people, and makes many important contributions to Singaporean society. Vietnam is a popular tourist destination for Singaporeans. There are more than 130 flights between the two countries each week.

Singaporean youth frequently travel to Vietnam to participate in self-funded study programs, cultural exchanges, and community service projects. The Singapore International Foundation and the National Youth Council of Singapore will organize the fifth ASEAN Youth Forum, bringing together youth leaders from across ASEAN to Singapore and Vietnam later this year. The connection between the people of the two countries serves as a bridge to foster closer ties and mutual understanding.

Economic relations between the two countries are very strong. Since 2020, Singapore has been the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam. This reflects the rapid transformation of the Vietnamese economy and Singapore's confidence in Vietnam's long-term prospects. Singapore has been a reliable partner in Vietnam's industrialization efforts since the 1990s.

The growing economic relationship between the two countries is the result of close consultations between Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, who had asked Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew for advice on opening up Vietnam's economy. Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet was also a close friend of Mr. Goh Chok Tong, who proposed the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) initiative in 1994.

The VSIP industrial parks have become a solid symbol of the bilateral partnership. Fourteen VSIP parks have been established across the North, Central, and South regions of Vietnam, attracting $18.4 billion in investment and creating over 300,000 jobs. Particularly noteworthy is the development of the third VSIP park in Binh Duong province, which integrates digital and green elements into its design, reflecting the great potential of VSIP parks in meeting global economic development needs and building resilience.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 12, 2022. (Source: VNA)

Promoting sustainable development

The partnership between the two countries in recent years has opened up many new areas such as digital and green cooperation. Singapore and Vietnam share the view of expanding cooperation in the fields of digital economy, renewable energy, carbon credits, green finance, cybersecurity, and sustainable infrastructure. The Green Economy - Digital Economy Partnership, signed in February 2023 during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Singapore, has paved the way for a stronger partnership between the two countries.

Both sides need to strengthen cooperation in sustainable development. The global nature of climate change requires countries to coordinate and develop innovative solutions. Specifically, both countries wish to cooperate in developing renewable energy. Vietnam has abundant sunshine and wind, which can be utilized for renewable energy production. The government's efforts towards a green transition, such as the drafting of the Power Master Plan 8, are landmark, impressive, and reflect the forward-looking vision of Vietnamese leaders. This provides a good foundation for us to cooperate in realizing the vision of the ASEAN Power Grid to promote regional energy security.

There is much more we can do to promote digital cooperation. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the particularly important role of digital and e-commerce in ensuring smooth business operations. This is a priority area for both countries, and I am delighted to see bilateral cooperation expanding into new areas such as cybersecurity, cross-border data flow, smart cities, innovation, artificial intelligence, and digital payments.

During the State visit of Singaporean President Halimah Yacob in October 2022, the Singapore Ministry of Information and Communications and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security signed an MOU on cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity and cybercrime, data flow, and personal data protection. The first meeting of the Digital Working Group was also held in February of this year to discuss specific project initiatives.

Given the shared interest of both countries in promoting digital transformation, I am confident that we will have many similar collaborative activities in the future. In responding to the opportunities and challenges of the digital age, Singapore looks forward to working closely with Vietnam to enhance the capabilities of both countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan.

Seeking new collaboration opportunities.

Singapore and Vietnam cooperate closely within ASEAN and other international forums. Amidst increasing uncertainty in the regional security environment and rising protectionism, Singapore appreciates Vietnam's support for multilateralism and its shared desire to maintain an open and inclusive regional structure based on international law.

Through ASEAN, Vietnam and Singapore cooperate closely on cross-border issues such as public health and sustainability. Specifically, Vietnam's dynamic leadership as ASEAN Chair in 2020 in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic is commendable. ASEAN is a cornerstone of the bilateral partnership, and at a time when geopolitical rifts are becoming increasingly apparent, these mechanisms play a crucial role in promoting dialogue and relations between the parties.

We continue to seek new opportunities for collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths and fostering mutual innovation. Singapore and Vietnam have demonstrated their ability to respond to rapidly changing global challenges in the context of Covid-19, digital transformation, and energy transition through close cooperation.

Both sides recognize that the crucial next step is to concretely implement the agreements reached in order to produce tangible results. This reflects the solid and practical partnership between the two sides. I am confident that the friendship between our two countries will continue to flourish for the next 50 years.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bo-truong-ngoai-giao-singapore-cu-the-hoa-cac-thoa-thuan-tao-ket-qua-thuc-chat-236705.html