Sources from Singapore’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs said that Singapore-Viet Nam bilateral relations will be elevated to a Strategic Partnership this September during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Viet Nam.

The Singaporean President, in his letter of congratulations to his Vietnamese counterpart on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic relations on August 1, said the bilateral ties have taken great leaps forward in the past four decades with Singapore being one of Viet Nam's largest investor and people-to-people links being robust.

In his letter to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung, Singapore ’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Strategic Partnership will pave the way for even stronger relations in the future.

He added that the four successful Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks reflect both countries’ excellent economic ties and he looks forward to opening the fifth such park during his visit to Viet Nam this September.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister K Shanmugam also sent a congratulatory letter to his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh, saying Singapore and Viet Nam work closely at various regional and international fora, including ASEAN.

He said, both countries share many common interests, including the importance of strengthening ASEAN to maintain regional peace and stability, and they are working more closely than ever in a wide range of areas such as defence, education, and arts and culture.

The Singaporean chief diplomat reaffirmed that economic cooperation between the two countries will continue to grow, buttressed by the Singapore-Viet Nam Connectivity Framework Agreement.