Singapore wishes to elevate its relations with Vietnam to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2025, said Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam.

At his meeting with Nguyen Van Nen, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, on Tuesday, the ambassador said that the relationship between the two countries has made great strides over the past years. 

Regarding the collaboration between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, Ratnam said that the two sides can focus their cooperation on sustainable development and creative innovation.

He also hoped to see strong growth in many other areas of cooperation, including energy and education.

Speaking highly of Ho Chi Minh City’s dynamism and creativity, the diplomat expressed his belief that promoting cooperation in data management will help attract more semiconductor companies as well as foreign direct investment to the city.

Party chief Nen commented that the cooperative ties between Singapore and Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, have achieved remarkable results, and that there is still ample room for further cooperation.

He told Ratnam that Ho Chi Minh City is boosting sustainable development, with a focus on digital transformation, green transformation, and energy transition.

The city is interested in cooperation in areas in which Singapore has experience such as human resource training.

He added that the municipal administration is implementing administrative reform programs, including public policy reform, while promoting smart city construction and digital transformation, among others. 

Therefore, it hopes to receive Singapore’s support in the above fields.

The local Party leader stated that the southern key economic zone, with Ho Chi Minh City at its heart, has significantly contributed to Vietnam's economic growth.

The central government has permitted the zone to pilot specific policies aimed at fostering development breakthroughs.

The city is a suitable place to execute large projects, including a trans-Asian railway system running from Ho Chi Minh City through southeastern Tay Ninh Province to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, Nen told the guest.

Ratnam expressed his desire to deepen the cooperative relationship between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the broader southern economic zone, in the near future.

Vietnam and Singapore established diplomatic relations on August 1, 1973, and elevated their ties to a strategic partnership in 2013.

During the first nine months of 2024, their trade topped S$23.24 billion (US$17.45 billion), up 6.83 percent year on year, placing Vietnam as Singapore's 12th largest trading partner, the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore reported.

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