State Visit by President Halimah Yacob to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 16 to 20 October 2022

President Halimah was received by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi this morning. After the ceremonial welcome, President Halimah had a bilateral meeting with President Phuc. President Phuc and Madam Tran Nguyen Thu will also host a State Banquet in President Halimah’s honour.

During their engagements, President Halimah and President Phuc reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and excellent relations between Singapore and Vietnam. Both Presidents agreed that bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, defence, security, education, and human resource development were substantive, wide-ranging, and mutually beneficial. They affirmed the extensive and robust economic cooperation between the two countries, and agreed to step up cooperation in new and emerging areas such as digitalisation and cybersecurity, the green economy including renewable energy and carbon credits, sustainable infrastructure, as well as vocational training to equip our people for the economy of the future. Both Presidents agreed that Singapore and Vietnam were committed to strengthen and expand our bilateral agenda as we commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and 10^th anniversary of the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership in 2023. President Halimah and President Phuc also exchanged views on regional and international developments. They agreed on both countries’ similar strategic outlook, including the importance of a rules-based multilateral order, an open and inclusive regional architecture, and ASEAN Centrality and unity.

President Halimah and President Phuc witnessed the signing of (a) the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade on Energy Cooperation; (b) the MOU between MTI and Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Carbon Credits Collaboration; (c) the MOU between the Singapore Institute of Technical Education and the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training Vietnam on Cooperation in the Field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training; and (d) the MOU between the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information and the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security on Cyber Security, Cybercrime Prevention, Data Flows and Personal Data Protection Cooperation. The two leaders also witnessed an investment license presentation to Sembcorp’s joint venture, the VSIP Joint Stock Company, to develop the 12^th Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), located in Can Tho City.

In the afternoon, President Halimah met with Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The two leaders welcomed Singapore and Vietnam’s excellent government-to-government as well as people-to-people ties.

President Halimah met Prime Minister (PM) Pham Minh Chinh. President and PM Chinh reaffirmed Singapore and Vietnam’s like-mindedness in developing digital and green capabilities, and agreed to pursue deeper cooperation in these areas. President Halimah also met National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. They welcomed Singapore and Vietnam’s excellent parliamentary ties, and discussed ways to deepen parliamentary collaboration.

President Halimah will continue her visit in Hanoi and Bac Ninh Province tomorrow before travelling to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

17 OCTOBER 2022