Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong returned to Hanoi on September 14, concluding his three-day official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
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Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong returned to Hanoi on September 14, concluding his three-day official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. During his stay in Singapore, Trong held talks with Lee, who is also Secretary General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore, and met with Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Chairman of the PAP Khaw Boon Wan.
The leaders exchanged views on major orientations and measures to strengthen Vietnam-Singapore friendship and cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
The two sides reached a high consensus on raising their relationship to the status of a strategic partnership and actively preparing for the signing of an Agreement on Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership in 2013 when they mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
They agreed to boost the regular exchange of delegations at all levels and the sharing of experience in leadership, management and socio-economic development as well as improving the role and efficiency of cooperation mechanisms between the two ruling Parties and parliaments.
They also agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination at regional and international forums, making active contributions to promoting solidarity and cooperation within ASEAN and successfully building the ASEAN Community by 2015.
During the visit, the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation, the Second Protocol Amendment for the Double Taxation Agreement, and the Agreement on Study Visit Programme and Executive Education Programme for senior officials of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).
Leaving Singapore, the Vietnamese Party leader sent his thanks to Lee Hsien Loong, expressing his belief that the elevation of the two countries’ relationship to a strategic partnership will be a firm foundation for boosting the strong, comprehensive and effective development of bilateral cooperation, in the interests of each country’s people as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
On the same day, Hoang Binh Quan, a member of the CPV Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations, granted an interview to the press on the visit.
He said Trong’s visit affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance and gives high priority to strengthening ties with regional countries, deepening the friendship and trust with Singapore, expanding existing cooperation areas between the two countries, bringing the Vietnam-Singapore friendship and multi-faceted cooperation to a new height, and enhancing relations between the CPV and the PAP.
The visit also reflected Vietnam’s wish to contribute, together with other regional countries, to building a strong and united ASEAN Community by 2015, for a Southeast Asia of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, Quan added.
