National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and Singapore's Parliament Speaker Seah Kian Peng at the Parliament House in Singapore. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

SINGAPORE Việt Nam and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties, with a focus on enhancing parliamentary cooperation and exploring new areas of collaboration in a meeting between National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and Singapore's Speaker of the Parliament Seah Kian Peng on Monday.

Both Mẫn and Seah discussed elevating their bilateral relationship under the Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Partnership framework, which has marked over a decade of robust development.

Speaker Seah expressed his delight in hosting Chairman Mẫn on his first official visit in this capacity, highlighting the longstanding diplomatic ties between the two nations. He underscored the deep connections across various sectors, including political trust, economic links and people-to-people exchanges, which are reinforced by shared strategic visions and close ties between their leaders.

Mẫn, in turn, extended greetings from Việt Nam's Party and State leaders and praised Singapore for its remarkable achievements. He reaffirmed Việt Nam's view of Singapore as a key regional partner and noted the shared aspirations for sustainable development and prosperity.

The two leaders agreed on the pivotal role of political and diplomatic cooperation as a cornerstone for broader bilateral relations. They committed to fostering high-level exchanges and supporting the training of Việt Nam’s strategic personnel, including officials preparing for future leadership roles.

National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn speaking with Singapore's Parliament Speaker Seah Kian Peng at the Parliament House in Singapore. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

Economic and trade cooperation continues to serve as a critical pillar of the partnership. Both sides emphasised the importance of creating favourable legal frameworks to advance joint projects in emerging fields such as green economy, digital transformation, clean energy, cybersecurity and innovation. They also pledged to enhance collaboration in traditional sectors like infrastructure development, tourism, and transportation.

In the defence and security arena, the leaders identified potential for further cooperation, including military dialogues, naval exchanges, cybersecurity, maritime protection and disaster response. The discussions also explored advancing maritime connectivity and protecting marine ecosystems through innovative technologies.

To deepen parliamentary cooperation, the two sides resolved to implement their bilateral parliamentary cooperation agreement effectively. This includes fostering information exchanges, sharing legislative expertise and supporting initiatives involving young and female parliamentarians.

Chairman Mẫn also urged Singapore's Parliament to facilitate conditions for Vietnamese enterprises, investors, and residents in Singapore.

Internationally, both countries committed to working closely in multilateral forums, such as the United Nations, ASEAN and inter-parliamentary bodies, to elevate their global standing and jointly contribute to regional peace and stability. They reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and freedom of navigation in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea), advocating for the resolution of disputes based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Chairman concluded the meeting by inviting Speaker Seah Kian Peng and his wife to visit Việt Nam, an invitation warmly accepted by the Singaporean leader.

Earlier in the day, the Vietnamese delegation paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his statue in the Asian Civilisations Museum complex, a gesture symbolising the deep historical and cultural ties between the two nations. VNS