Singapore, 12 November 2021 (TDI): Singapore and Vietnam co-chaired the 14th Singapore-Vietnam Bilateral Consultations (SVBC) via video conference on 9 November 2021.
Chee Wee Kiong, the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represented Singapore at the conference. While Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Quoc Dung participated on behalf of Vietnam.
The two representatives expressed appreciation for strengthening the Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Vietnam.
The two Southeast Asian countries remained engaged in high-level engagements over the past year. Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh met in April 2021. Moreover, the Foreign Minister of Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan also visited Vietnam in June 2021.
In the meeting, the parties affirmed strong practical cooperation to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore also donated some medical equipment to Vietnam as part of the mutual contributions of medical supplies and equipment.
These include 200,000 Antigen Rapid Tests, 500,000 nasopharyngeal swabs, and 100,000 tubes of phosphate-buffered saline.
Permanent Secretary Chee and Vice Minister Dung also joined in a ceremony to hand over the equipment, during the SVBC.
They also reviewed the multi-faceted and substantive cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade, investment, and defense.
Other matters, including expanding cooperation in energy, sustainable infrastructure, cyber security, innovation, and the digital economy, also came into the discussion between them.
The meeting also underscored ASEAN centrality and unity, upholding rules-based multilateralism to promote peace and stability in the region.
