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WARM WELCOME: President Nathan (left) meeting his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Minh Triet at the presidential palace in Hanoi yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
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HANOI - AT THE start of a five-day state visit here yesterday, President SR Nathan congratulated Vietnam on its rapid economic growth and said Singapore hopes to extend closer ties between the two countries beyond the political and economic.
President Nathan and his wife were personally greeted by President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife Tran Thi Kim Chi at Hanoi's ornate presidential palace yesterday afternoon, where a full military guard of honour played the national anthems of the two countries.
He recalled that when he last visited Vietnam in 2001, there were hardly any major factories or huge company billboards along the airport highway.
'Now, there are so many all the way along the road, and also many factories along the route,' he said, adding that he was especially pleased to see a billboard announcing the plans for a new Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park near Hanoi.
President Triet, who visited Singapore 18 months ago, said he was pleased to welcome Mr Nathan to Vietnam this year, which marks 35 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
President and Mrs Nathan also attended a state banquet yesterday evening hosted by President Triet and his wife.
At the dinner, Mr Nathan praised Vietnam's rapid economic growth in recent years, noting that its 8.5 per cent growth last year was the highest in a decade.
He added that Singapore has successfully secured a large and growing part of that action.
'Last year, bilateral trade was over S$13 billion, an increase of 15.4 per cent year on year, with Singapore being Vietnam's fourth-largest trading partner,' he said.
Singapore is also the second-largest investor in Vietnam, after South Korea, with a registered cumulative investment of around US$11 billion (S$15 billion).
Mr Nathan also told President Triet that Singapore wants to work with Vietnam to develop new areas of cooperation in tourism, urban development, port and logistics and airport development, as well as non-economic areas such as arts and culture.
On the upcoming Vietnam Festival 2008, a four-month-long programme to begin in Singapore in April, Mr Nathan said: 'I am confident that this festival will create greater awareness and promote better understanding of Vietnam's history and culture among Singaporeans.'
Today, after paying homage at the mausoleum of Vietnam's founding father Ho Chi Minh, President Nathan will meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the head of the ruling Communist Party, general secretary Nong Duc Manh.
Later this week, Mr Nathan will visit some of central Vietnam's major heritage sites, notably the Champa ruins at My Son and the historic port village of Hoi An.
Accompanying Mr and Mrs Nathan on the state visit are Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his wife, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, Members of Parliament Lam Pin Min and Wee Siew Kim, as well as senior business leaders from companies such as CapitaLand, Keppel Corp, Ascott, UOL, Pico Art and Changi Airports International.
rogermitton@hotmail.com
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