On the morning of December 6, 2005, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and leaders of Vietnamese ministries and organizations opened “Vietnam Day in Singapore”, an important event organized on December 5-8 by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in cooperation with Vietnam’s ministries and organizations, under the witness of special guests and officials of Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam-Singapore Trade-Investment-Tourism Forum also took place in the morning.
“We have been experiencing a strong development in Vietnam-Singapore trade and investment relations in recent decades. With achievements and requirements in the new development pace, the two countries are looking forward to setting up a closer, comprehensive relation and fully implementing the initiative to link the two economies called “Singapore-Vietnam Connection”. On the Framework for Comprehensive Cooperation in the 21st century, Singapore-Vietnam Connection was agreed by the two governments and many concrete projects in many fields have been promoted,” stated Vu Tien Loc Ph.D, VCCI President, in his opening speech.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed at the Trade-Investment-Tourism Forum that Vietnam and Singapore have many similarities, potential and advantages, and especially same wishes to establish a friendly, cooperative relation to rapidly and firmly develop together. “The bilateral trade reached nearly US$5 billion in 2004 and is expected to stand at US$6 billion this year, up 24 per cent over the last year. In term of investment, to the end of November 2005, Singapore has 380 projects in Vietnam in validity with total registered capital of over US$7.5 billion,” he added.
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At Trade-Investment-Tourism Forum
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The Deputy Prime Minister said that the above results have not matched with potential of each country. Therefore the signing of the Joint Declaration between Vietnam and Singapore on the Framework for Comprehensive Cooperation in the 21st century last year and the Framework Agreement on Singapore-Vietnam Connection this occasion are very important events, creating a detail legal framework and favourable conditions for bringing the friendly, cooperative relation to a higher plane and helping the two countries combine and utilize advantages of each other, Dung remarked.
On December 6, the Framework Agreement on Singapore-Vietnam Connection and many economic agreements were signed under the witness of the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Singapore officials. They include a US$40-million agreement between Binh Duong province and Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park II JV Co., a US$70-million agreement between Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park JV Co. and Guoco Land Co. to build a trade and services project in the IP, a US$3-million contract to sell coffee from VIMEXCO to OLAM International, a US$20-million garment contract between South Island Garment and NIKE, and others.
Right after landing to Singapore, the Vietnamese delegation led by Nguyen Tan Dung on December 5 visited the two Singaporean giant groups of STT and Semb Corp. which are operating successfully in Vietnam.
The working visit to Singapore was attended by leaders of the Government Office, ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Investment, Finance, Trade, Post and Telecommunications, and Transport, VCCI and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. In addition, the programme will see the participation of artistic delegations, news agencies and around 120 Vietnamese enterprises.
P.V
Vietnamese
