General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highly appreciated the significance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to the Republic of Singapore.
On September 12, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and a high-ranking delegation of our country began an official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party of Singapore.
The official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was solemnly held this afternoon at the Presidential Palace with state-level ceremony. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong came to the car door to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to visit Singapore. Military band played the national anthems of both countries. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong invited General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to inspect the guard of honor.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcomes General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong
visit Singapore
After the official welcoming ceremony, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party (PAP) Lee Hsien Loong.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warmly welcomed and highly appreciated the significance of the official visit to the Republic of Singapore by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his delight at visiting the beautiful and hospitable island nation of Singapore for the first time. He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to strengthen and promote the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with neighboring and regional countries, including Singapore.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds talks with Singaporean Prime Minister
The two leaders expressed their delight at the positive development of relations between the two countries over the nearly 40 years of establishing diplomatic relations, especially since General Secretary Do Muoi's visit to Singapore in 1993. Political relations between the two countries have been increasingly strengthened with regular exchanges of high-level delegations and all-level delegations; economic and trade relations have developed rapidly.
Currently, Singapore is one of Vietnam's leading trade and investment partners. In 2011, bilateral trade turnover reached 8.7 billion USD. Singapore has more than 1,000 investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly 23 billion USD, ranking 7th out of 95 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The two leaders highly appreciated the significance and important results achieved in the implementation of the Vietnam - Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement and the expansion of Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs), as well as the extremely important role of the business communities of the two countries in expanding and improving the effectiveness of economic, trade and investment cooperation and further expanding the fields and scope of cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam - Singapore Connectivity Framework Agreement.
On the basis of the good cooperation in many fields between the two countries, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highly agreed on the policy of elevating the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership and assigned relevant agencies of the two countries to soon complete the construction of the content for Vietnam and Singapore to sign the Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2013, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The two leaders agreed to conduct more frequent exchanges of delegations at high and all levels in the coming time to continue enhancing friendship and mutual understanding and sharing experiences in leadership, management, and socio-economic development.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that, in addition to expanding and promoting the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries' levels and sectors, it is necessary to constantly enhance the role and promote the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms between the two ruling parties and the two National Assemblies. The General Secretary highly appreciated the role of the Singapore People's Action Party in building and developing Singapore; affirming that the good relationship between the two ruling parties is an important political foundation to promote the continued development of the two countries' relations.
The two leaders also expressed high consensus on the need to expand and enhance people-to-people exchanges in a rich, practical and effective manner, especially between the youth of the two countries.
In order to continue strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong both said that the two sides need to fully promote and improve the effectiveness of the Vietnam - Singapore Economic Connectivity Framework Agreement, proactively propose new areas of connection, and identify areas with potential to implement more large, symbolic projects such as the VSIP industrial park.
The General Secretary affirmed that Vietnam will create favorable conditions for Singaporean investors and is ready to expand cooperation and investment in areas where Singapore has strengths, such as high technology, land management planning, urban management, supporting industries, oil and gas services, and maritime transport services. The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of education and training, science and technology, tourism, defense and security, etc.
During the talks, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong discussed international and regional issues of mutual concern. Both sides agreed that, after more than 45 years since its establishment, ASEAN has continuously grown, with increasingly deep and wide connections both within the bloc and with other countries and major economic and political centers in the world. However, ASEAN is also facing many difficulties and challenges. Vietnam, Singapore and ASEAN member countries need to continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, maintain ASEAN's central role in the evolving regional structure, and successfully build a united and strong ASEAN Community by 2015.
The two leaders expressed concern over recent complicated developments in the East Sea and expressed their hope that relevant parties would resolve disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of compliance with international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and move towards a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination at international and regional forums. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong thanked Singapore for supporting Vietnam's candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 term and the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sincerely thanked the Government and people of Singapore for the warm, thoughtful and respectful reception extended to the General Secretary and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation; and respectfully invited Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to visit Vietnam again at an appropriate time. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sincerely thanked and happily accepted the invitation.
After the talks, at the Presidential Palace, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the signing of three cooperation documents: the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation, the Second Amended Protocol on Avoidance of Double Taxation, and the Agreement on Research Programs and thematic training programs for senior officials of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
According to (vov.vn)-LT
