Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung said the visit of the Singaporean State leader aims to further intensify strategic partnership with Vietnam. (Source: VNA)

The diplomat said the visit of the Singaporean State leader is a reciprocal of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's trip to Singapore in late February 2022, and will further solidify the strategic partnership set up nine years ago and carry out the countries’ agreements.

He noted since Vietnam reopened borders on March 15 and Singapore on April 1 after the COVID-19 pandemic had been brought under control, they have recorded a large number of people travelling between the two countries. There are about 20 flights connecting Singapore with big cities of Vietnam each day, along with a new air route linking the city state with Nha Trang, carrying about 3,000 - 4,000 passengers.

Vietnam and Singapore have organised many mutual visits at all levels during which they not only shared experience in policy making and implementation but also held investment forums and business dialogues to exchange information, seek partnerships, and devise solutions to obstacles to enterprises’ cooperation, Dung noted.

Those visits have strengthened political ties and fostered bilateral trade and investment, helping Singapore continually be the largest foreign investor in Vietnam and fuel trade growth.

By the end of August 2022, Singapore had invested over 4.5 billion USD in Vietnam. Bilateral trade turnover had reached some 15 billion USD, rising nearly 25% from the same period of 2021, he added.

Aside from traditional cooperation areas, they have also worked together to develop infrastructure, build industrial parks, and train human resources, the diplomat went on, saying that in President Phuc’s State visit last February, they also agreed to promote digital cooperation.

During President Halimah Yacob’s visit, the two countries will expand their collaboration to renewable energy.

Ambassador Dung expressed his hope that the agreements on energy cooperation to be signed during the trip will give a new impulse for bilateral ties since Vietnam holds much potential for renewable energy while Singapore has big demand for this type of energy.

A stronger energy partnership will open up a new opportunity helping reinforce the two countries’ cooperation, he added.