NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung meets with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong.

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Sinh Hung has called for closer wide-ranging links with Singapore, especially between the two legislatures, on the basis of the recently-launched strategic partnership.

Greeting visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hanoi on September 12, Chairman Hung suggested the two legislative bodies facilitate visits as well as share information and professional expertise.

In his opinion, both sides should work closely together at regional and global inter-parliamentary forums, especially the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the World Parliamentary Union.

He proposed signing a cooperation agreement between the two legislatures and establishing Vietnam-Singapore and Singapore-Vietnam Friendly Parliamentarians’ Groups in the time to come.

Singapore is a strategic partner that Vietnam treasures and wishes to push forward bilateral ties with, the legislator noted.

Hailing Singapore as one of Vietnam’s top trade and investment partners, the host called for bilateral solidarity and unanimity to maintain ASEAN’s central role in an evolving regional architecture, towards building a united and strong ASEAN community by 2015.

Lee Hsien Loong lauded the recent upgrade of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level during his visit, which according to him will propel their ties to a new height.

He also expressed his desire that the two nations will work closely at regional and global forums as well as within the trans-Pacific framework.

He said the exchange of visits and experiences by legislators from both nations will help improve the cooperation efficiency between their respective governments.

His counterpart arrived in Hanoi on September 11 for a three-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

VNA