Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong affirmed his country appreciates the strategic partnership with Viet Nam, during his phone conversation with Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) shakes hands with Singaporean Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong before their summit meeting at the Government Office in Ha Noi
on March 23, 2017. Photo: VGP

Lee congratulated Viet Nam on the success of the 13th National Party Congress and PM Phuc upon his re-election to the Political Bureau, and effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee also extended congratulations to Viet Nam on its successful assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.

For his part, Phuc spoke highly of Singapore’s initiatives to boost its economic recovery, including air travel bubble” and Connect@Changi, as the country has effectively contained the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested both countries proactively coordinate in fighting the pandemic, facilitating access of safe vaccine sources and creating favorable conditions for businesses and investors to restore production, trade and investment.

The two sides should promote cooperation under the frameworks of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to increase trade and minimize disputes.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in potential sectors such as agriculture, finance, information technology, education and training, infrastructure as well as clean energy, smart urban development, innovation, digital economy, and digitalization among others.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two PMs underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation, maintaining peace and stability, settling disputes peacefully on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and working towards a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC)./.