Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) meets with Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin on Friday morning in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Singapore has always been one of Việt Nam's leading partners in the region.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính made the statement meeting with Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin on Friday morning in Hà Nội.

PM Chính said the visit of the Tan Chuan-Jin, which lasted from May 18 to 20, was very important, contributing to promoting the Việt Nam - Singapore Strategic Partnership to become more and more extensive and effective, especially while the two countries are looking forward to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and 10 years of Strategic Partnership in 2023.

Chính congratulated Singapore on its outstanding achievements, including always leading the way in the region in catching new development trends of the world, especially in science and technology with its high international prestige and position.

Chính also congratulated the Singapore Sports Delegation, participating in the 31st SEA Games, on their success.

Chính said despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-way trade turnover between Việt Nam and Singapore had still grown positively, reaching US$8.3 billion in 2021, an increase of over 23 per cent compared to 2020.

Singapore was the largest investor of Việt Nam in ASEAN with 2,866 valid projects and total registered capital of $67.5 billion, he said.

Việt Nam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) not only made an important contribution to the regional economic development in Việt Nam but also helped spread the working spirit, labour discipline and Singaporean management thinking in Việt Nam, becoming a successful model in economic co-operation between the two countries, he said.

Chính suggested the two sides step up visits at all levels; effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and agreements, especially the Ministerial Conference on economic connectivity between Việt Nam and Singapore.

Chính said he hoped the two sides would continue to support and create conditions for cooperation in recovery and economic development after the pandemic, focusing on areas where Singapore has strengths and Việt Nam has needs.

The areas include innovation, green energy, digital economy and diversification of the global supply chain, bringing the connection of the two economies towards a new level of "connection on a digital platform" through the effective implementation of the "MoU on Co-operation in the Digital Economy", signed during President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc's visit to Singapore in February, he said.

Chính also expected that Singapore would help to develop VSIP zones in a number of provinces and cities in Việt Nam following the model of smart, high-tech, innovative, environmentally friendly and energy-saving; and the two sides would effectively take advantage of the implementation of free trade agreements, especially Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Regarding co-operation in COVID-19 prevention and control, Chính congratulated Singapore as the country with the highest vaccination rate in the world, having moved to the stage of "adaptation, development and long-term coexistence with COVID-19".

Chính also thanked Singapore for the valuable and timely support in medical equipment and vaccines that Singapore had given to Việt Nam. He asked that the two sides promote cooperation in the research and production of vaccines and drugs to treat COVID-19.

He suggested that the two countries step up cooperation in the fields of defence and security, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges and seek new development motivations, especially in areas where Singapore has strengths and Vietnam has potential.

Chính asked Singapore to share experiences in digital transformation, for example in the fields of tax collection, banking and population management as well as continue to support Việt Nam in human resource training, especially high-quality human resources and increasing scholarships for managers at all levels in Việt Nam.

On this occasion, Chính also thanked and asked Singapore to continue to create favourable conditions for the community of about 13,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working in Singapore.

Tan thanked Chính for the warm and respectful welcome, and highly appreciated the thoughtfulness and friendship that the host country Việt Nam has spent for the Singapore sports delegation.

He said Việt Nam's economy was appreciated as one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. He also said that economic cooperation was an important foundation in the two countries' relations with huge potential.

Therefore, it was necessary to promote stronger, especially co-operation in the fields of trade, investment, technology and new areas of co-operation, he said.

Singapore's NA Speaker Tan affirmed that in legislative terms, the Singapore Parliament supported the cooperation between the two Governments and Singaporean enterprises investing in Việt Nam. It also supported the expansion of VSIP Industrial Parks in Việt Nam to tighten and improve the effectiveness of the friendship between the two countries.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global situations and issues of mutual concern, stressing that ASEAN should stick to its position on the East Sea and resolve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and the importance of ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. — VNS