SINGAPORE – Efforts made by Việt Nam and Singapore to elevate their bilateral relationship are expected to contribute to further promoting the Green-Digital Economic Partnership initiated two years ago, according to Prof. Bilveer Singh from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In an interview granted to Singapore-based Vietnam News Agency correspondents on the threshold of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm’s official visit to the city-state, Singh said that Singapore seeks to foster cooperation in developing digital economy within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), particularly with Việt Nam.

Singh highlighted Việt Nam’s rapid development, expressing his hope that the two nations will strengthen digital economic cooperation at this time, in line with commitments made by their top leaders, given the model’s great potential and promising future.

For this sector to thrive, Việt Nam needs to continue improving its legal framework in areas such as e-commerce and digital services, and developing high-quality human resources, he stressed.

Sharing Singh’s opinion, Prof. Vũ Minh Khương, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy under the NUS, said the digital economy is characterised by rapid growth driven by science and technology, noting that with Việt Nam’s large IT workforce, further cooperation with Singapore will provide significant development momentum for both countries.

In fact, Việt Nam and Singapore are actively strengthening cooperation in various fields to promote the Green-Digital Economic Partnership.

Speaking at an online seminar on March 4 about the Việt Nam -Singapore Strategic Partnership, organised by the Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS) of Singapore, Singaporean Ambassador to Việt Nam Jaya Ratnam stated that the two countries have expanded their bilateral cooperation to new areas, particularly renewable energy, food, infrastructure, digital economy, and innovation.

These areas of cooperation are being implemented under the Green-Digital Economic Partnership, which enables the two sides to support each other in addressing common challenges and playing a key role in ASEAN, he stated.

Regarding green economy, Ratnam emphasised that Singapore sees Việt Nam as a key destination in ASEAN’s energy network due to its huge renewable energy potential.

Both nations have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with Vietnam’s energy products playing a crucial role in this goal, he said, adding that in addition to energy exports, Việt Nam has the potential to develop energy production and service facilities.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Trần Phước Anh underlined the need to further encourage Singaporean investment in high-tech industries, renewable energy, and digital transformation in Việt Nam, while facilitating Vietnamese businesses’s investment expansion in Singapore.

Established in February 2023 during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính's official visit to Singapore, the Green-Digital Economic Partnership particularly focuses on clean energy and innovation co-operation. VNS