Visit lays foundation for Vietnam, Singapore to become role models for Southeast Asia: expert

Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (first, left) and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (first, right) witness the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries on February 25. (Photo: VNA)

 The State visit to Singapore by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, with many agreements inked, has laid an important foundation for the two countries to develop and be more inter-connected to become role models for Southeast Asia, according to Assoc. Prof. Vu Minh Khuong.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, the expert from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said the trip from February 24 to 26 reaped many special outcomes clearly reflecting the two peoples’ wholeheartedness, mettle, and inter-connectivity in the trying times.

Vietnam and Singapore will take the next steps, with the strategic trust to be built up intensively, to carry out bilateral cooperation, firstly the agreements on defence, trade, and investment, among others signed during the trip, he said, noting that 28 businesses also inked many memoranda of understanding.

The deals signed this time serve as a cornerstone, not merely ordinary contracts, under which the two sides will seek ways to develop more strongly together and coordinate better in the future, Khuong went on.

He held that through this visit, President Phuc wished to affirm that the foundation of a modern country is taking shape in Vietnam, and that Vietnam will work closely with Singapore to make important strides in the time ahead.

The expert expressed his hope that Vietnam will make strong reforms in the coming time to govern the country more strongly and deserve to be a modern nation./.
VNA