National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man begins Singapore visit

Man was accompanied by a number of officials of the National Assembly Committees, and those in charge of foreign affairs and public security of the government, as well as leaders of several provinces.

Vietnam and Singapore share a strong bilateral relationship based on political trust, robust trade and investment links, and close ties between the peoples of the two countries.

In the first nine months of 2024, two-way trade between Vietnam and Singapore reached US$7.6 billion, marking a 12.5% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Singapore is Vietnam’s fourth largest trading partner within ASEAN, and the second largest investor among 145 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with over 3,800 active projects and a cumulative investment of over US$81 billion.

The network of Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks is a symbol of the successful economic cooperation between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Vietnam currently has 153 active investment projects in Singapore, with total registered capital of over US$690 million, ranking 10th out of 80 countries and territories investing in the island state.

Education and human resource training cooperation is a bright spot in bilateral relations. The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on education cooperation in August 2023, fostering partnerships between educational institutions and offering numerous scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate education.

The two countries are also actively implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on the Vietnam-Singapore Innovation Talent Exchange Program.

Defense and security cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore continues with the regular exchange of high-level delegations and annual dialogue and cooperation mechanisms. Regarding transportation and tourism cooperation, Singapore is one of the most significant aviation markets for Vietnam, ranking sixth in terms of passenger volume to Vietnam.

Singapore is also an important tourism market for Vietnam, consistently ranking among the top 15 sources of international visitors to the latter, while the latter is one of the top 10 tourist markets for the former.

There are about 15,000 Vietnamese expatriates living, working and studying in Singapore. They have so far made a practical contribution to the host country and served as a bridge to promote friendship between the two countries.

The top legislator’s visit is expected to not only enhance diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Singapore but also promote substantive cooperation between the two countries’ parliaments.