Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) yesterday where he discussed cooperation on urban planning and smart city development with HCMC party secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Teo said he had an engaging discussion with Mr Nhan on the challenges faced by cities and "how we can strengthen cooperation in urban planning and smart city development".
Singapore is the top foreign investor in HCMC with cumulative investments of more than US$10 billion (S$13.5 billion) in over 1,100 projects.
Mr Teo also said he was happy to be back in HCMC, Vietnam's largest city, which he first visited in 1993 with then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Mr Nhan expressed satisfaction with the robust economic ties between Singapore and HCMC, and welcomed further economic cooperation.
The minister yesterday officiated with chairman of the HCMC People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong at events related to property development.
Mr Teo was at the unveiling of Mapletree's V Plaza and the opening of Oakwood Residence Saigon, a mixed-use development jointly developed with Saigon Co-Op integrating residential, commercial, and retail components.
Saigon is the former name for HCMC.
Mr Teo also officially opened the new Chancery of the Singapore Consulate-General in HCMC and visited the new offices of Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board in HCMC.
He was scheduled to meet Singaporeans living and working in the city yesterday evening, at a reception hosted by Ambassador to Vietnam Catherine Wong.
Mr Teo's visit to HCMC, which he described in his Facebook post as "vibrant and energetic", formed the third leg of his official visit to Vietnam, which began last Thursday and will end today.
Before he leaves HCMC today, Mr Teo will meet members of the Singaporean and Vietnamese business community for breakfast.
He will also visit Keppel Land's retail and residential developments Estella Place and Estella Heights, and receive a briefing on Keppel Land's future projects in HCMC before returning to Singapore.
