PM Pham Minh Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong inspect guards of honour (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s Antara news agency has publishedan article highlighting the significance of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham MinhChinh and his spouse’s visits to Singapore and Brunei from February 8-11 in thecontext that ASEAN and Vietnam in particular are promoting post-pandemic economicrecovery.

The article posted on February 11 said the visits conveyed a clear message of wishingto boost economic and political ties with ASEAN in general and Singapore,Brunei in particular toward building a harmonious, prosperous and sustainable ASEANCommunity.

Achievements in economic bonds between Vietnam and Singapore overthe past years are an outstanding highlight in Southeast Asia. Singapore hasbeen the biggest investor of Vietnam in ASEAN, ranking second out of 140countries and territories investing in the country.

Apart from bilateral collaboration, Vietnam and Singapore havebeen working closely and actively together at regional and global organisationsand forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN and Asia-Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC). They expressed determination to make positive contributionsto building a strong and united ASEAN Community, upholding the bloc’s centralrole and common voice on regional and global issues.

As members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),Vietnam and Singapore effectively tapped benefits brought about by new-generationfree trade deals, contributing to supporting multilateral trade system andregional economic recovery following the pandemic.

In March 2019, Vietnam and Brunei upgraded their ties tocomprehensive partnership level.

The two countries agreed to build an Action Programme for theircomprehensive partnership for the 2023-2027 period, continue actively realisingsigned agreements, extend a Memorandum of Understanding on agriculture andaquaculture, actively cope with traditional and non-traditional threats and securitychallenges, including fighting transnational and cyber crimes.

On multilateral forums, Vietnam and Brunei also worked closelyand effectively together, especially at the ASEAN and the United Nations, contributingto maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region andthe world.

They promised to continue working closely together, promoteASEAN's common principles and sta𝄹nce on its relationship with partners, as wellas on Myanmar and East Sea issues, step up the implementation of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiations onan effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) inaccordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to the article./.