Singapore (VNA) –National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan held talks with her Singaporeancounterpart Tan Chuan-Jin in Singapore on November 28.

Ngan showed hope to maintainthe exchange of high-ranking delegations through all channels of Party, State,parliament, government and people-to-people contacts.

She affirmed Vietnam’sconsistent policy of attaching great attention to developing strategic partnershipwith Singapore, while pledging to actively coordinate with the Singaporean sideto implement the partnership and making the ties develop in a smooth andeffective manner.

She suggested that the twosides work closely to prepare for celebrations of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2018.

The Vietnamese top legislator statedthat Vietnam supports Singapore in performing the ASEAN Chair in 2018 andshowed hope to receive Singapore’s collaboration with other ASEAN membercountries in maintaining the bloc’s common stance, solidarity, unity and centralrole in the region.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Ngan stressedthat Vietnam highly values Singapore’s stance, expressing her belief that asthe ASEAN Chair in 2018, Singapore will continue raising its voice in theissue, and accelerate the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC),thus developing a healthy and sustainable ASEAN-China relations.

Holding that defence-security cooperation is animportant pillar in the bilateral strategic partnership, she proposed that thetwo countries optimise existing consultation and dialogue mechanisms,especially the Defence Strategic Dialogue at Deputy Ministerial level, whileexpanding cooperation to broader areas.

Both sides should also negotiate for thesigning of a bilateral extradition treaty and an agreement on transfer ofsentenced persons, she said, adding that the two countries should increase consultationsand mutual support, as well as promote each other’s initiatives and share experiencein organising ASEAN military-defence meetings, especially the ASEAN Chiefs ofDefence Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM), ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting(ADMM) and ADMM Plus.

For his part, Tan Chuan-Jin briefed his gueston Singapore’s development situation as well as the country’s efforts to protectthe environment, secure sustainable development and create jobs for youngsters.

Vietnam and Singapore have enjoyed growing tiesin all fields, including economy, investment, education and training, he noted,expressing hope that Ngan’s visit will help attract more businesses to Vietnam.

Singapore is currently the ninth largest tradepartner and third biggest investor of Vietnam, Ngan said, adding that theFramework Agreement on Connectivity between the two countries plays animportant role in coordinating linkage between the two sides.

She asserted that the two sides should workclosely together to expand collaboration in six major areas of finance,information technology and communications, education and training,transportation, investment, trade, service and the construction of a softwarepark in Da Nang province and a Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Tri.

She also asked Singapore to create favourablefor Vietnamese products in the Singaporean market, especiallyagro-forestry-fisheries, processed food, footwear, wooden products, andconstruction material, while calling for Singaporean investors.

Vietnam and Singapore should consider thesigning of a labour deal and support Vietnam to increase vocational skills forVietnamese workers, while expanding affiliation in tourism and aviation.

Vietnam is willing to work with Singapore inpreparing for the implementation of a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreementfor Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a deal replacing the former Trans-PacificPartnership (TPP).

Regarding legislative ties between the twosides, the two sides recognised the mutual support at regional andinternational inter-parliamentary forums.

They agreed that along with closer cooperationamong specialised agencies, both sides should foster friendship amongparliamentarians.

Ngan told her host that Vietnam has set up aVietnam-Singapore Friendship Parliamentarian Group.

Tan Chuan-Jin vowed to continue working toforge partnership between the two countries and parliaments.

Following the talks, Singaporean ParliamentSpeaker Tan Chuan-Jin hosted a banquet for the Vietnamese top legislator.

Later the same day, NA Chairwoman Ngan and theVietnamese delegation visited the SEA company before leaving for Australia for anofficial visit at the invitation of the Australian Parliament and Government.-VNA