Vietnam PM to make official visit to Singapore from Feb 8-10
Lee U-Wen
VIETNAMESE Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh – the leader of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world – will make an official visit to Singapore from Wednesday (Feb 8) to Friday at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Chinh’s trip takes place as both countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, as well as the 10th anniversary since relations were upgraded to a Strategic Partnership.
His visit is the first since he took office in April 2021, and follows a series of high-level visits to Vietnam last year by Singapore President Halimah Yacob, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
In a statement on Tuesday, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that Chinh will be accompanied by his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran, Foreign Affairs Minister Bui Thanh Son, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Planning and Investment Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, senior officials and a business delegation.
During his three-day stay in Singapore, Chinh will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Istana on Thursday. He will call on President Halimah and PM Lee on the same day, with the latter hosting an official lunch in the Vietnamese leader’s honour.
MFA added that both prime ministers will witness the signing of several bilateral agreements that will “further strengthen the multi-faceted cooperation” between Singapore and Vietnam, particularly in the digital economy and green economy.
Chinh’s schedule also includes separate meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, as well as Speaker of Parliament Tan.
Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 8 per cent in 2022, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The Asian Development Bank estimates that Vietnam’s GDP growth for 2023 will be around 6.3 per cent, with inflation staying below 5 per cent.
Bilateral trade between Singapore and Vietnam has grown steadily over the past decade. According to latest available statistics, bilateral trade reached S$31.3 billion last year, up from S$26.9 billion in 2021. Singapore was the second largest cumulative investor into Vietnam after South Korea, with about US$70 billion invested in 3,600 projects as of June 2022.
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