FOREIGN AFFAIR
In January 1973, the Paris Agreement on ending the war against US invasion in Vietnam was signed. At once, Singapore became one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam (August 1, 1973).
Yet, indeed the friendship between the two nations had been forming before that date. In the course of the Vietnam revolution, President Ho Chi Minh lived and worked in Singapore for some time, and today, a statue of him is prominently placed in the courtyard of the Asian Civilizations Museum of Singapore.
Despite historical ups and downs, the two countries had successfully overcome obstacles and two decades later entered a new phase of mutual cooperation with growing strategic trust. A significant milestone in Vietnam-Singapore diplomatic relations was the official visit of Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vo Van Kiet to Singapore in November 1991. Since then, Singapore has recognized Vietnam as a reliable partner with whom to develop bilateral relations, and also as a partner in having built the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) into the ten-member bloc as it is today.
In 2004, Vietnam and Singapore signed the "Joint Declaration on the Framework for Comprehensive Cooperation in the 21st Century," providing a legal framework and favorable conditions for advancing their relationship.
On September 11, 2013, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Ly Hien Long made a historic decision on officially elevating the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore to a strategic partnership. Since establishing the Strategic Partnership, Vietnam-Singapore relations have deepened in various areas, including strengthening mutual political trust, enhancing economic cooperation, improving defense and security cooperation, promoting collaboration in other fields, and increasing co-ordination at international forums.
Over the past half-century, Vietnam-Singapore relations have become increasingly reliable and sustainable. Notably, the elevation to a strategic partnership in 2013 and the establishment of the Vietnam-Singapore Digital Economy and Green Economy Partnership in February 2023 mark important milestones, laying the groundwork for deeper and more comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. These developments also serve as effective example of cooperation among nations in the region.
As strategic partners to each other over the last 50 years and especially the last decade, Vietnam and Singapore have strengthened their positions in ASEAN. As of June 2023, Singapore remains the second-largest investor, among the 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 3,200 valid projects totaling $73.4 billion in registered capital.
Singaporean investment projects are present in 51 out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam, with a focus on industries such as processing and manufacturing, real estate, electricity, gas, water, and air conditioning. In its turn, Vietnam has 150 investment projects in Singapore, with nearly $700 million in registered capital, primarily in fields like science and technology.
Educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to flourish, serving as a solid bridge for the Strategic Partnership. Tens of thousands of scholars, students, and Vietnamese laborers have lived, studied, and worked in Singapore. The Singapore Cooperation Program is highly effective, contributing to human resource development and training thousands of Vietnamese officials, including many at the senior level.
Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan delivers a speech at the commemoration ceremony (Photo: An Dang/VNA)
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Singapore. At the beginning of the year, the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (HAUFO) worked out a key plan that emphasizes the development of its member-organizations, particularly the establishment of the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association in Hanoi to be put into reality next year. Currently, preparations for it are under way. It is hoped that strengthening people-to-people exchanges between Hanoi and Singapore will further reinforce and deepen the friendship and cooperation between the two nations and promote the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership to a new level commensurate with the interests and aspiration of both sides.
Half a century of Vietnam-Singapore cooperation, including their 10 years as strategic partners, has brought remarkable results. It serves as shining example to the Southeast Asian region and as a strong foundation for the bilateral relationship to usher in a new phase.
Nguyen Hien