National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân met Singaporean President Halimah Yacob yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

SINGAPORE — National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân met Singaporean President Halimah Yacob yesterday and suggested the two countries maintain relations at all levels, while joining hands to celebrate the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2018.

The top Vietnamese legislator said progress has been made in trade cooperation, investment, national defence and security and cultural and people-to-people exchange.

The Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) has become a symbol of successful and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, she said. She described Singapore as Việt Nam’s leading trade and investment partner and a country which has trained many Vietnamese students.

The chief legislator underscored Halimah Yacob’s contributions to legislative ties between Việt Nam and Singapore in her capacity as Singapore’s Parliament Speaker in the past, saying the two sides have regularly exchanged high-level delegations, information and experience.

She expressed her hope that President Halimah Yacob will contribute more to the relations between the two parliaments, thus deepening the countries’ strategic partnership.

The NA Chairwoman extended President Trần Đại Quang’s invitation to President Halimah Yacob to visit Việt Nam on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2018.

President Halimah Yacob praised Việt Nam’s efforts in successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week in the central city of Đà Nẵng from November 6-11.

She also applauded cooperation between Việt Nam and Singapore across spheres. She noted their strong economic ties and said that Singapore is Việt Nam’s third largest investor.

The President used the occasion to call for Việt Nam’s support for Singapore as the rotating Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018.

Stressing Việt Nam’s role in advancing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), formerly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, Halimah Yacob said concerned parties should continue to finalise the deal for early approval and implementation.

The President noted her hope that Vietnamese and Singaporean firms will seek business opportunities during NA Chairwoman Ngân’s visit.

She called on the two countries to step up cooperation within ASEAN. The theme of ASEAN 2018 will be resilience and innovation.  

Halimah Yacob also underlined the need for ASEAN to enhance intra-bloc cooperation to deal with common issues and speed up the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

She said that apart from political, economic and cultural links, people-to-people exchange also plays an important role, adding that many Singaporeans now want to visit Việt Nam. — VNS