Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng received Singaporean Ambassador to Việt Nam Rajpal Singh in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng received Singaporean Ambassador to Việt Nam Rajpal Singh in Hà Nội on Wednesday, during which he affirmed that Singapore remains one of Việt Nam’s most important partners in the region.

Highlighting positive outcomes in Việt Nam-Singapore cooperation across all areas, particularly since bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025, the PM proposed that the two sides maintain and step up high-level visits and exchanges at all levels.

He suggested improving the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the annual meeting between the two PMs and the Connectivity Ministerial Meeting.

Emphasising that economic, trade and investment cooperation remains a key pillar and a major driver of bilateral ties, PM Hưng called on Singapore to prioritise upgrading the Việt Nam–Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) network, with the goal of reaching 30 VSIPs in 2026.

He also proposed that the two sides actively work towards the early practical connection of Việt Nam’s VNeID and Singapore’s SingPass systems; expand cooperation in emerging areas that are priorities for Việt Nam and where Singapore has strengths, such as clean energy, including offshore wind power exports from Việt Nam to Singapore; carbon credit trading; digital government; smart cities; national data centres; science and technology; and high-quality human resources training. He also called for stronger cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges.

The leader affirmed that the Vietnamese Government welcomes and stands ready to create favourable conditions for Singaporean businesses to invest and operate in Việt Nam.

He stressed the need for the two sides to continue strengthening cooperation, solidarity and ASEAN centrality, and called on Singapore to maintain its strong support for ASEAN’s common position on the East Sea and promote negotiations towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides should closely coordinate to successfully organise the first Việt Nam–Singapore Strategic Dialogue, as well as major events in 2027, when Singapore will serve as ASEAN Chair and Việt Nam will host APEC. He also called for efforts to translate high-level commitments and agreements between the two countries into concrete outcomes, he said.

For his part, Ambassador Singh expressed his honour at taking up his post in Việt Nam and affirmed that he would actively serve as a bridge to help further advance Việt Nam–Singapore relations.

The diplomat stressed that Singapore attaches great importance to cooperation with Việt Nam and stands ready to support Việt Nam in its new development phase, noting that the two countries still have considerable potential for cooperation.

Welcoming the Vietnamese PM's orientations for Việt Nam–Singapore cooperation, Singh pledged to work actively to ensure effective implementation of the 2025–2030 Action Plan, bringing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into greater depth and delivering more tangible results, not only in traditional areas but also in emerging fields such as technology connectivity, the development of second-generation VSIPs with high science and technology content, clean-energy connectivity, sustainable urban development, international financial centres and smart cities.

He said Singapore looks forward to the upcoming first Singapore–Việt Nam Strategic Dialogue, describing it as an important step forward in cooperation between the Communist Party of Việt Nam and Singapore’s People’s Action Party, as well as between the two countries.

He thanked Việt Nam for supporting Singapore in food security and said Singapore wishes to increase imports of clean agricultural and aquatic products from Việt Nam.

The diplomat stressed the importance of stronger business connectivity, encouraging Singaporean companies to continue investing and doing business in Việt Nam. He pledged to promote bilateral cooperation in strengthening supply-chain resilience, coordinate closely to translate high-level agreements into concrete cooperation, and promote people-to-people exchanges, education, science and technology, and innovation.

He also affirmed Singapore’s continued support for Việt Nam in training and developing human resources through cooperation agreements on official training.

Singapore will closely coordinate with Việt Nam during Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship and Việt Nam's hosting of APEC, as well as within ASEAN frameworks, while promoting bilateral cooperation on regional and international issues of shared concern, he pledged. — VNA/VNS