Speaker Tan meets Vietnam's leaders

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin met top Vietnamese leaders this week as he led a delegation of six Singapore MPs on an official visit to Hanoi.

Mr Tan and his counterpart, National Assembly of Vietnam chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote ties between parliamentarians of the two countries.

He made separate courtesy calls on Vietnam's President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

Yesterday, Mr Tan told reporters the MOU would provide a framework to increase and deepen interactions and collaboration between MPs on both sides.

"We're doing that, but the commitment established by the MOU really is to make this happen in a more extensive way."

Mr Tan also discussed with Mr Hue the importance of parliamentary dialogue and the exchange of ideas and views in a fast-changing world.

At Mr Tan's meetings with Mr Phuc and Mr Chinh, the strong relations between Singapore and Vietnam were reaffirmed and both sides expressed confidence in increased close cooperation in a post-Covid-19 pandemic world - in areas such as economic development, the revival of tourism, sustainability, the digital economy and people-to-people ties.

Both countries are preparing to commemorate, next year, their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

"Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, bilateral ties have grown from strength to strength," said Mr Tan on Wednesday.

"This relationship is built on a commitment to the common goals and values of Asean centrality and unity, an open and rules-based order and deeper regional economic integration."

He noted Singapore's and Vietnam's governments and companies were pursuing cooperation in areas such as clean energy, climate change, cyber security, innovation and sustainable infrastructure.

"This will help us build back better from the pandemic and gives me great optimism for the future of our bilateral relations," said Mr Tan.

He also visited the Chu Van An High School, a partner of Singapore's National Junior College under the Singapore-Vietnam School Twinning Programme, on Thursday.