Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Singaporean Prime Minister and Secretary General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, September 12, 2012 - Photo: VNA

This was agreed by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore during their talks during the former’s ongoing official visit to Singapore , according to a joint press statement released on September 12.

The press statement said:

“During their talks, both leaders acknowledged the excellent bilateral relations between our countries and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen our partnership and cooperation bilaterally and for the benefit of ASEAN.

In recognition of the warm and maturing relationship, both leaders agreed that Singapore and Viet Nam would work towards signing a Strategic Partnership agreement in 2013, on the occasion of the 40^th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Viet Nam .

The Strategic Partnership agreement will elevate the existing links between Singapore and Viet Nam , and open up new directions for cooperation in various areas, including cooperation in education, training, finance, defence, and security.

Both leaders reviewed bilateral areas of engagement including the growing exchanges between the governments, businesses and peoples of Viet Nam and Singapore .

They recognised the importance of the Connectivity Framework Agreement in deepening bilateral economic cooperation, took note of the substantive outcomes of the bilateral trade and investment cooperation, and acknowledged the success of the Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks as a model for bilateral economic cooperation.

In addition, both leaders renewed their commitment to enhance bilateral trade and to encourage the flow of investments between Viet Nam and Singapore .

Both leaders also expressed satisfaction at the new developments in bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism, education, and training.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also had a good exchange of views on regional and international issues. They discussed recent developments in Southeast Asia and reaffirmed their commitment to work together on initiatives to consolidate ASEAN as the central driving force in the evolving regional architecture.

Both leaders agreed on the importance of achieving peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region, as well as improving connectivity between Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

Both countries are also committed to cooperating closely to realise the goal of building an ASEAN Community by 2015 to ensure the long-term growth and prosperity of the region.

The two leaders also discussed developments in the East Sea , and agreed that the situation should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Both leaders also hoped that ASEAN-China discussions on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) could commence as soon as possible. In addition, both leaders agreed to work closely in advancing regional initiatives such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Following their meeting, both leaders witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation, the Second Protocol Amendment for the Double Taxation Agreement, and the Agreement on Study Visit Programme and Executive Education Programme for Senior CPV officials.”./.