State President Trần Đại Quang (L) receives  Singapore’s Ambassador to Việt Nam Catherine Wong in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI – State President Trần Đại Quang said that Việt Nam would continue to develop its strategic partnership with Singapore during a reception for Singapore’s Ambassador to Việt Nam Catherine Wong in Hà Nội yesterday.

He expects that the two countries will work closely with a new, creative mindset, thus keeping pace with changes in science and technology to achieve sustainable development and prosperity.

He suggested the diplomat work with Vietnamese functional agencies to step up bilateral cooperation, through high-level visits, Party, State and National Assembly channels, and people-to-people exchange.

He also hoped that the Ambassador would help to push for the negotiation and signing of a bilateral labour agreement, accelerate air and sea connectivity, call for more Singaporean investors to invest in energy, petro-chemistry, and agriculture, and make it easier for Vietnamese agri-products to enter Singapore.

President Quang expects the two countries to continue tapping the strengths of operating Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) and accelerating the establishment of a VSIP in Đà Nẵng while studying to set up new cooperative models, like hi-tech and creative parks in big cities and a food processing zone in Thanh Hóa Province.

He expressed his belief that Ambassador Catherine Wong would do her best to step up the bilateral strategic partnership and assured her that Vietnamese agencies would cooperate with her to boost the relationship in a deeper and more efficient manner.

He asked the diplomat to convey his New Year greetings to President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and other leaders of Singapore.

The Ambassador conveyed New Year greetings from Singapore’s leaders to President Quang. She said she was delighted to see the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, especially the exchange of high-level visits, and more Singaporean investors coming to Việt Nam.

She affirmed that the Singaporean Government would continue its extensive cooperation with Việt Nam across politics, diplomacy, economics and others. Singapore would support Việt Nam to successfully organise the APEC Year 2017, the diplomat said.-VNS