NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn talks to Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Kian Peng Seah. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The official visits to Singapore and Japan by National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation from December 1-7 were a success, with practical and comprehensive results across the Party, NA, Government, and people-to-people exchange channels, generating a new momentum for the robust development of Việt Nam's ties with both nations in the years ahead.

Fostering substantive cooperation between Vietnamese, Singapore legislatures

After more than five decades of diplomatic relations (1973–2024) and over a decade of strategic partnership (2013–2024), the Việt Nam-Singapore relationship has kept growing, with important milestones across various fields. Notably, political trust has been strengthened, and economic and trade cooperation remains a key pillar in bilateral ties. Singapore remains the second largest investor in Việt Nam, with over 3,800 projects worth more than US$81 billion. A network of 18 Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) across 13 Vietnamese cities and provinces stands as a symbol of successful economic cooperation between the two countries.

During meetings, NA Chairman Mẫn and high-ranking Singaporean leaders affirmed their determination to further promote this crucial cooperation pillar. This will be achieved through increased sharing of information and experience in tackling new socio-economic challenges, and stepping up investment based on leveraging each country's strengths. The goal is to create breakthroughs in emerging growth areas such as green logistics, data centre, semiconductors, clean energy, carbon credit, food security and green finance.

To bolster substantive cooperation between the two legislatures, Mẫn and Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng agreed on the need to continue effectively following the cooperation agreement between the two parliaments, contributing to further developing the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership and elevating it to a new level. They also agreed to enhance the sharing of information and experience in each country regarding the perfection of institutions, policies and legal systems.

Underscoring the visit's significance ahead of Việt Nam's upcoming reforms, Assoc. Prof. Vũ Minh Khương, a lecturer at the Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, described it as a practical channel for both sides to sharing experience in building legal systems and policies in a more scientific, concise, simple and easy-to-understand manner.

According to him, Việt Nam's upcoming reform to streamline its administrative apparatus must start with legal matters. The visit provides an opportunity to draw on valuable legal experience, laying the foundation for building an elite civil service apparatus, from senior officials to the younger generations, enabling them to become the vanguard of change in this new era.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Pro Eugene Tan, senior lecturer at the Singapore Management University, affirmed that the visit demonstrates the close relationship between Việt Nam and Singapore, helping their legislative bodies deepen understanding of each other's legal systems, paving the way for new cooperation opportunities.

Meeting with leaders of major Singaporean corporations and businesses, Mẫn delivered a clear message: Việt Nam is ready to remove difficulties and obstacles, offering all possible support for domestic enterprises and foreign investors. In the legislative work, the Vietnamese NA has made numerous reforms to improve institutional framework, creating a more conducive environment for them.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phước Dũng noted that major Singaporean corporations and businesses are optimistic about Việt Nam's potential, hoping that the country will soon resolve mechanism challenges, making it easier for them to continue investing in the country. The Vietnamese NA will help them overcome these obstacles.

The visit not only reinforced the importance of legislative cooperation as a key channel in the Việt Nam-Singapore Strategic Partnership but also reaffirmed the political will to elevate bilateral ties to a new level.

Affirming Việt Nam's commitment to comprehensive strategic partnership with Japan

National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and President of the House of Councilors of Japan Sekiguchi Masakazu held talks in Tokyo on December 5 as part of the Vietnamese top legislator’s official visit to Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

Since the two countries set up their diplomatic relations in 1973, their relationship has developed strongly, comprehensively and substantively across multiple domains. The recent official trip to Japan by NA Chairman Mẫn, his spouse and the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese parliament reaffirmed how Việt Nam has attached much importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

During his stay, Mẫn met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and held talks with President of the House of Councilors of Japan Sekiguchi Masakazu and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Nukaga Fukushiro. In a frank and open atmosphere, the two sides expressed their delight over the standout and practical outcomes in the bilateral relations across economy, trade, labour, human resources training, cultural exchange, people-to-people exchange, and local connectivity.

They concurred to enhance exchanges among parliamentarians, particularly young and female lawmakers, and promote the pivotal role of the friendship parliamentary alliance in fostering people-to-people ties, business cooperation, and locality-to-locality partnerships. They also committed to sharing expertise between specialised committees and creating favourable legal frameworks to support enterprises to expand their cooperation and investment in each nation.

A significant milestone of the visit was the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and the House of Councilors of Japan, laying the premise for the two legislative bodies to bring their partnership to a new high in the coming years.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiệu highlighted the practical and effective outcomes of the visit, noting that Japanese leaders highly valued Mẫn's visit, which saw extended discussions at various meetings.

Laying stress on the agreement between the two legislative agencies, the first deal that the House of Councilors of Japan ever signed with a foreign parliament, he said that it features direct cooperation and discussions between the two agencies’ specialised units, expected to bolster Việt Nam's institutional reforms—one of the nation’s strategic breakthroughs aimed at fostering socio-economic development in a new era—the era of the nation’s rise.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Vũ Hải Hà held that the deal will make further contributions to the development of the Việt Nam – Japan comprehensive strategic partnership.

Japan remains Việt Nam's largest ODA provider, the second-largest partner in labour cooperation, the third-largest investor, and the fourth-largest trading partner. With existing potential and advantages, NA Chairman Mẫn called on Japan to enhance the implementation of new-generation ODA with favourable terms, simplified procedures, and flexibility, particularly for infrastructure development projects in Việt Nam. He also affirmed Việt Nam's ongoing efforts to improve its legal framework and investment climate to attract stable and long-term foreign investments, including those from Japanese enterprises.

Meanwhile, member of the Japanese House of Representatives Soramoto Seiki noted Việt Nam's development potential, predicting rapid and robust growth in several industries in the near future. Mẫn's visit, he added, was timely in capturing this momentum and advancing shared goals.

The outcomes of the top legislator’s official visits to Singapore and Japan marked a significant milestone in enhancing parliamentary collaboration and strengthening Việt Nam's strategic partnerships with both countries. These visits solidified Việt Nam's commitment to deepening comprehensive, practical, and sustainable cooperation with Singapore and Japan across all fields. — VNA/VNS