Attending the meeting were Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), Mr. Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Vu Viet Ngoan, Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Committee, Mr. Le Cong Phung, Chairman of the Vietnam - ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation Association, Mr. Raymond Chow, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Republic of Singapore along with representatives of ministries, departments, central government agencies and the media.
The congress approved its charter and draft operational programs of the association in the 2014-2019 period and elected an Executive Committee consisting of 29 members. Mr. Vu Viet Ngoan was elected Chairman.
Addressing the congress, the Chairman said, in the context that the Vietnam-Singapore relationship has developed rapidly and gained many great achievements, the establishment of the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association is an urgent need to strengthen exchanges and understanding between the two peoples. The action plan and directions of the association in the future are to focus on building and developing the association, promoting understanding, people-to-people exchanges, promoting economic, trade, education, tourism, science cooperation etc. as well as to conduct research on Singapore to serve for the association’s activities and give recommendations on Vietnam-Singapore relations.
Singapore’s Deputy Chief of Mission Raymond Chow and Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh agreed that the people-to-people ties were the foundation for relations between the two countries. They agreed that the strength of friendship of the two countries has always been built on a foundation of deep and long relationships of the two countries’ peoples.
They believed the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association will contribute to further tightening the relationship between the peoples and enhancing the relationship between the two countries.
VUFO President Vu Xuan Hong congratulated the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association to be the 109th member of VUFO and affirmed the Communist Party and the State attached great importance to strengthening relations with countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
He hoped that the Vietnam-Singapore Friendship Association will effectively serve as a bridge to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, closely collaborate with other bilateral agencies of Vietnam and ASEAN countries to hold diverse activities, enhancing practical understanding, cohesion, cultural exchanges, economic cooperation towards building an ASEAN community of solidarity, dynamic development and a region of peace and prosperity.
Tran Duc Minh
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