National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn on Monday meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn on Monday met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as part of the Vietnamese top legislator’s official visit to Singapore.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Wong expressed confidence that the visit would outline significant directions and create momentum for the development of bilateral relations in the near future. He also shared his intention to visit Việt Nam in 2025 and extended an invitation through NA Chairman Mẫn for Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to visit Singapore at a mutually convenient time.

NA Chairman Mẫn thanked the Singaporean government and businesses for their support in helping Việt Nam recover from the severe impact of Typhoon Yagi in September. He highlighted this assistance as a clear testament to the Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Partnership and the spirit of friendship and mutual support between the leaders and people of both countries.

Reflecting on over 50 years of diplomatic ties and a decade of strategic partnership, the two leaders confirmed that Việt Nam-Singapore relations have continued to develop, achieving numerous milestones across all fields.

They spoke about strengthening political trust through effective and regular exchanges of delegations and high-level meetings, and agreed to further tighten cooperation and elevate bilateral relations to new heights in the future.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong economic cooperation between the two nations. Singapore remains Việt Nam's second-largest foreign investor, with over 3,800 projects and cumulative investment exceeding US$81 billion. The 18 Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) in 13 provinces and cities across Việt Nam are recognised as symbols of successful economic collaboration.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing this vital pillar of cooperation by increasing information exchange and sharing expertise in addressing emerging socio-economic challenges. They agreed to promote investment that leverages each country's strengths, particularly in developing sustainable and smart VSIP 2.0 models.

The discussion also focused on fostering new growth sectors, such as green logistics, data centre construction, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, carbon credits, food security and green finance.

The leaders agreed on the need to boost and expand security and defence cooperation in a more practical and effective manner. They discussed measures to strengthen collaboration in other key areas, including education and training, culture and people-to-people exchanges to enhance mutual understanding between their citizens.

Expressing appreciation for Prime Minister Wong's positive remarks about the role and contributions of the Vietnamese community in Singapore, NA Chairman Mẫn requested that the Singaporean government continue to support Vietnamese businesses, investors and the approximately 25,000 Vietnamese living, working and studying in Singapore.

On international and regional issues, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and organisations. They emphasised the importance of ASEAN solidarity and centrality in addressing strategic issues affecting the security and development of the ASEAN Community and the region, including the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

Later in the afternoon, NA Chairman Mẫn, his wife, and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly visited Gardens by the Bay, a sprawling 100-hectare nature park located in central Singapore. – VNS