Vietnam, Singapore announce formation of strategic partnership

(VDP) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on September 11 officially announced the elevation of the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive relationship to a strategic partnership.

At the talk between Vietnam PM Nguyen Tan Dung and Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong (VGP).

The strategic partnership covers five major areas including deepening mutual trust in political relations, boosting economic trade and investment, increasing bilateral relations in security-defence, promoting bilateral ties in fields such as education, law, health, culture, art and sports, and intensifying relations at regional and international forums.

During the official visit to Vietnam by the Singaporean leader, PM Dung welcomed PM Loong to Vietnam and described the visit as a manifestation of the close and reliable relations between the two countries and also as an important event to mark the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

He congratulated the government and people of Singapore on their important achievements, especially in the development of economics, science-technology and human resource training and management.

For his part, PM Lee Hsien Loong praised Vietnam for its accomplishments in national construction and development towards the target of becoming an industrialised country by 2020 and the country’s increasingly important role in ASEAN, the region and in the world.

He spoke highly of PM Dung’s opening speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May this year.

The two sides expressed their pleasure at the strong development of the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive relationship, bringing practical benefits for both peoples.

They agreed that the two sides should maintain the regular exchange of delegations at all levels, including those of the two Parties and two legislative bodies, and support the establishment of the Friendship Association in each country to promote people-to-people exchange.

The two leaders noted that defence-security ties have continued to develop on the basis of the Defence Co-operation Agreement (2009) and the Transnational Crime Prevention Co-operation Agreement which was signed in 2006 and extended in 2012.

They welcomed the signing of a co-operation agreement on submarine rescue procedures on information exchanges about non-military shipping and maritime activities.

Both sides agreed that business trade and investment is the highlight and the main pillar of the two countries’ relations.

PM Dung highly valued the fact that the Singapore business community has always been among the top investment and trade partners of Vietnam. Two-way trade surpassed US$9 billion in 2012 and Singapore now has nearly 1,200 projects worth over US$28 billion in Vietnam.

PM Lee affirmed he advocates that Singaporean business enterprises invest in Vietnam, especially in the fields of Vietnam’s interest, such as seafood processing, clean vegetable cultivation and genetic technology.

He also took note of PM Dung’s request for favourable conditions for Vietnam’s export items, including agro-forestry-seafood and garment products, to enter the Singaporean market for more balanced trade ties, as well as for Singapore’s support for Vietnam companies to participate deeper in the world’s market and the global supply chain.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction at the effectiveness of the Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and the operation of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks in the provinces of Binh Duong and Bac Ninh and Hai Phong city, expressing their hope that the fifth one to be built in Quang Ngai province be successful and contribute to the development of Vietnam’s central region.

Both sides agreed to strengthen co-operation on education-training, energy-oil and gas, agriculture, construction, transport, labour, finance, post and communications and information technology.

Regarding regional and international co-operation, the two PMs voiced pleasure at the close co-ordination between the two countries in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations.

The two sides agreed to step up mutual collaboration and work together with other ASEAN countries for the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015, enhancing the solidarity among ASEAN and upholding the bloc’s central role in the region for the sake of regional peace, security and prosperous development.

PM Lee affirmed that Singapore is going to continue to collaborate with and support Vietnam in the course of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, to ensure that the TPP is a balanced agreement with adequate consideration for the benefits of all members, especially developing countries.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Dung thanked Singapore and other ASEAN nations for backing Vietnam’s bids for a seat in the Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 tenure as well as for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure. He also asked for Singapore’s support of Vietnam’s candidacy for a seat in the World Heritage Committee in the 2013-2017 term.

The two PMs shared their views on the East Sea issue, emphasising the solidarity and positive role of ASEAN and highlighting the association’s common principles as mentioned in the Six-Point Declaration of ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the issue, which laid emphasis on ensuring peace, security, and maritime safety and freedom in the East Sea, resolving disputes by peaceful measures, abiding by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and seriously and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as working for an early establishment of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

Following the talks, the two Prime Ministers attended a ceremony to launch a stamp set jointly issued by Vietnam and Singapore on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

(VNA)