PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, Ha Noi, September 11, 2013 - Photo: VNA

The decision to upgrade the Viet Nam-Singapore ties was made during the talks between PM Nguyen Tan Dung and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in Ha Noi on September 11 on the occasion of the latter’s official visit to Viet Nam.

The Viet Nam-Singapore strategic partnership centers on five pillars, namely the political relations and mutual trust, economic cooperation, national defense and security cooperation, cooperation in other fields like education and healthcare and culture; and coordination at regional and international forums, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the talks, the Vietnamese Government chief expressed his belief that Singapore would continue to be an economic, financial, scientific and technological hub of the region.

Meanwhile, PM Lee congratulated Viet Nam on achievements gained during the cause of national construction development and on its rising role in ASEAN as well as on regional and international areana.

The guest spoke highly of the keynote speech delivered by PM Nguyen Tan Dung at the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore last May.

For multilateral forums, the two PMs expressed their pleasure at close coordination between the two countries within the frameworks of ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, and the UN.

Both sides vowed to work with other ASEAN member states to boost the building of ASEAN Community and promote the bloc’s central role in the region for peace, security, development and prosperity.

PM Lee voiced his support for Viet Nam in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

PM Dung took the occasion to thank Singapore for advocating Viet Nam’s bid for membership of the UN Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 period and for non-permanent UN Security Council seat for the 2020-2021 tenure.

He also called on Singapore to support Viet Nam’s bid for World Heritage Committee membership between 2013 and 2017.

In terms of East Sea issue, the two PMs stressed the importance of solidarity and active role of ASEAN member countries as enshrined in the Six-point principles on the East Sea./.

By Huong Giang