Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore’s PrimeMinister Lee Hsien Loong and his spouse left Hanoi on March 24 afternoon, wrappingup his official visit to Vietnam from March 21 at the invitation of PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

During his four-day visit, the Singaporean PMheld talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, during which the two sideswitnessed the signing of several cooperation documents, including the hand-overof an approval letter of the State Bank of Vietnam to Singapore’s UnitedOverseas Bank on establishing a branch in Vietnam; and Memoranda ofUnderstanding on developing a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project on gasturbines at Dung Quat 2; on developing a software park in Da Nang, and on thebuilding of a Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Quang Tri, among others.

During separate meetings between PM Lee HsienLoong and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Tran DaiQuang, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the two sideshighly valued the growing bilateral relations thanks to regular high-leveldelegation exchanges.

Both nations agreed to consider legislativecollaboration a key pillar in the bilateral strategic partnership and called onthe competent agencies to enhance coordination in providing technicalassistance and verifying criteria for farm produce, seafood and foodstuff.

Singapore pledged to continue supporting Vietnamto increase capacity and facilitate foreign direct investment and trade betweenVietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.

The two sides stressed the need to furthercollaboration in urban city development and modernisation through theapplication of information-technology and telecommunication in urban management,transport, and environment, while tightening ties between Singapore andVietnam’s major cities.

PM Lee Hsien Loong recognised Vietnam’s proposalon supporting waste treatment and environmental protection at coastal tourismareas, and signing a MoU on labour cooperation, foreign languages training, andsharpening skills for Vietnamese workers.

The two countries hoped to boost cooperation inaviation and within the framework of ASEAN.

They reiterated their commitments tostrengthening defence partnership via high-level visits and bilateralactivities to cement the bilateral friendship and mutual trust, especially atASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM , as well as continue joining handsto address common security challenges such as marine security, piracy,terrorism and cross-border crime.

The two sides vowed to fully and effectivelyimplement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) andsoon complete the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

While stay in Vietnam, PM Lee Hsien Loong andhis spouse had a working session with authorities from Ho Chi Minh City, metwith Singaporean businesses in the city, and attended a ceremony to launch theMapletree business centre - a leading Singaporean investor in theVietnam’s southern economic hub.

On the occasion, Vietnam’s Omega Books alongwith the Singaporean Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam IntellectualCooperation Centre jointly launched a book “The Singapore Story: Memoirs of LeeKuan Yew”.-VNA