Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man's official visits to Japan and Singapore are expected to strengthen the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership and the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership, and foster friendship and effective cooperation between Vietnam and the two Asian countries across all sectors, according to Vice Chairwoman of the NA Committee for External Relations Le Thu Ha.

Ha underlined that the visits, spanning from November 1-7, carry special significance in advancing Vietnam’s foreign policy, fostering substantial and sustainable parliamentary cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and Singapore’s Parliament and Japan’s National Diet.

She noted that Singapore is one of Vietnam’s key partners in the region. Over the past 50 years of diplomatic relations (1973-2024) and 10 years of strategic partnership (2013-2024), the Vietnam-Singapore relationship has grown steadily, marked by significant achievements across Party, governmental, parliamentary, and people-to-people channels. Both nations have agreed to upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time.

Meanwhile, The Vietnam-Japan relationship exemplifies the success of Vietnam’s bilateral cooperation with global partners. Japan remains Vietnam's top economic partner. Japan is Vietnam's largest provider of ODA, the second largest partner in labour, the third biggest in investment, the third in tourism, and the fourth in trade. Bilateral relationship is at its most robust phase, marked by high political trust, frequent high-level exchanges, and deep economic collaboration. The two countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic ties and elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world in 2023.

Ha said that during his stay in Singapore, the NA Chairman will hold talks and meetings with key leaders of the host, including Parliament Speaker Seah Kian Peng, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He will meet with major Singaporean businesses investing in Vietnam, visit the Vietnamese community, and work with the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore.

In Japan, Man will hold talks with President Sekiguchi Masakazu of the House of Councillors and Speaker Nugaka Fukuhiro of the House of Representatives. He will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, and pay a courtesy call to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. He will also present orders from the State President of Vietnam to several former Japanese leaders.

The top Vietnamese legislator will meet with the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, leaders of major Japanese political parties, economic organisations, and authorities of localities with close ties to Vietnam. Man will also visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo, the Consulate General in Fukuoka, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Notably, a Cooperation Agreement between Vietnam’s NA and Japan’s House of Councillors will be signed during this visit, marking an important milestone for elevating legislative cooperation between the two nations in the coming years.

Regarding the influence of the visits to the parliamentary and local cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore, Japan, Ha said that parliamentary collaboration is a key channel of the partnership between Vietnam and both Singapore and Japan. Over the years, Vietnam’s NA has shared sound bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the parliaments of Singapore and Japan.

The official expressed her belief that the visits will help deepen collaboration between the legislative bodies through increased exchanges, committee-level cooperation, and partnerships among parliamentarians, including young and female lawmakers. The visits will also leverage the role of the friendship parliamentary alliance and friendship parliamentarians’ groups to promote people-to-people exchanges, business cooperation, and locality-to-locality partnerships, while promoting the legislative bodies in enhancing oversight of the implementation of agreements and treaties, refine legal frameworks to support socio-economic development, and encourage business investment and collaboration. The visits are also hoped to help the legislatures of the three countries to increase mutual support at multilateral forums and organisations as well as regional and international parliamentary forums, said Ha.

Particularly, a cooperation agreement between Vietnam’s NA and Japan's House of Councillors, to be signed during the visit, is expected to enhance the effectiveness of legislative collaboration between the two bodies, facilitating bilateral cooperation initiatives as well as joint efforts in multilateral forums.

At the same time, locality-to-locality cooperation is another highlight of Vietnam’s ties with Singapore and Japan. Singaporean businesses have invested in nearly all sectors of Vietnam’s economy across 51 provinces and cities, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Binh Duong, and Long An. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) network symbolises successful bilateral economic partnership.

For Japan, more than 110 cooperation agreements have been signed between Vietnamese and Japanese localities, fostering vibrant exchanges in areas like investment, trade, labour, and cultural exchange. Prominent locality-to-locality partnerships include those of Ho Chi Minh City-Osaka, Hanoi-Tokyo, and Da Nang-Yokohama.

𒆙 Accompanying the NA Chairman are leaders of many Vietnamese provinces and cities, ensuring practical and focused discussions with counterparts in Singapore and Japan, which is expected to produce tangible benefits for local communities and businesses of the three countries, according to Ha./.