S'pore-Vietnam ties at a high point, set to strengthen, says PM Wong

Leaders to witness exchange of several pacts on deepening bilateral cooperation

- Alyssa Woo

HANOI - The bilateral relationship between Singapore and Vietnam is at a high point, with economic cooperation stronger than ever, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the start of his visit to Vietnam on March 25.

"I am confident that our ties will continue to grow from strength to strength," he said in a toast speech at a dinner hosted by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

At the event held at the country's Office of Government, PM Wong pointed to the regular exchange of visits between leaders on both sides, which demonstrate the high level of trust between the two countries.

"They show how the Singapore-Vietnam relationship has grown over the years since the very first exchange of visits between then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and then General Secretary Do Muoi," he said.

PM Wong added that Singapore has a like-minded and forward-looking partner in Mr Chinh.

Both countries had pledged to deepen cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, cross-border electricity trade and sustainable infrastructure.

On March 26, PM Wong and Mr Chinh are expected to witness the exchange of several agreements between the two countries on deepening cooperation.

One key plank of the relationship is the Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks. There are currently 20 such parks spread across Vietnam, which have collectively attracted over US$23 billion (S$30.8 billion) in investments and supported more than 320,000 jobs in the country.