SINGAPORE – President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Mr Vo Van Thuong to congratulate him on his election as president of Vietnam.
Last Thursday, Mr Thuong, 52, was elected as Vietnam’s new president in a reshuffle of the country’s top leadership amid a sweeping anti-graft campaign. He replaces Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who stepped down in January.
In her letter, Madam Halimah extended her “heartiest congratulations” to Mr Thuong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday.
She noted that Singapore and Vietnam enjoy a longstanding and multifaceted relationship, marked by excellent cooperation in many areas.
“Our strong friendship is built upon mutual understanding, trust and common interests. We work closely together bilaterally, as well as within Asean and at the global level.”
During her state visit to Vietnam in October 2022, Madam Halimah said she was pleased to see Singapore and Vietnam’s cooperation grow in new and emerging areas, such as clean energy, sustainability, cyber security and the digital economy.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and 10th anniversary of our strategic partnership this year, I look forward to working with you to further strengthen our cooperation.”
Madam Halimah invited Mr Thuong to Singapore for a state visit at a mutually convenient date.
PM Lee, in his letter to Mr Thuong, extended his warmest congratulations. Mr Lee said he recalled their exchanges fondly when he visited Quang Ngai for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in September 2013, as well as Mr Thuong’s visit to Singapore as the 40th Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow in December 2013.
Mr Lee noted that Vietnam’s economy has recovered strongly following the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is testament to Vietnam’s impressive potential and the resilience of the Vietnamese.
“Singapore and Vietnam are longstanding friends and strategic partners, and have worked closely to promote regional growth and stability in Asean,” said Mr Lee.
“Our bilateral cooperation has continued to grow from strength to strength in many areas such as trade, security, education and finance.”
Mr Lee noted that Singapore and Vietnam launched the Green-Digital Economic Partnership earlier this year.
“I am confident that we will see strong bilateral cooperation in emerging areas such as renewable energy and carbon credits. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and 10th anniversary of our strategic partnership this year, I look forward to working with you to grow our mutually beneficial partnership,” he added.
“Please accept my best wishes for your good health and success.”
