Ambassador Tao Thi Thanh Huong speaks at a New Year celebration held in Singapore. Photo: VNA

What is your impression of the country and people of Singapore?

My term in Singapore (March 2018 to April 2021) took me from one surprise to another. The deepest impression for me is that a small country achieving amazing achievements.

Singapore is more than 700 square kilometers, just a small dot on the map, not only scarce in land but also limited in natural resources. However, Singapore made great efforts, becoming the world's leading developed country in less than a generation.

Having become one of the "dragons" of Asia, Singapore strived to achieve more.

Whenever faced with difficult circumstances, Singapore always found a way to overcome, and rose up stronger. In the context of the global economic downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic, FDI into Singapore continued to increase, reaching US$78 billion in 2020, US$138 billion in 2021, US$140 billion in 2022.

I have an interesting memory when the Embassy coordinated to organize an exhibition of Vietnamese paintings on the occasion of the 74th Anniversary of Vietnam's National Day in Singapore in 2019.

The Vietnamese painter presented to Singapore's Minister of Manpower Josephine Teo a painting that she liked very much. It is surprising to know that after receiving the painting, the Minister has not brought it home but transferred it to the authorities for pre-valuation. She then had to pay the price at the time of owning it.

Singapore's regulations do not allow officials and civil servants to accept gifts, whether items or money, to prevent corruption and abuse of power.

After the event, I was touched when I learned that the Minister to give VND20 million (US$844) to a Vietnamese charity chosen by the artist. Finally, that gift came to VTV24's Cap la love program with scholarships to support poor children.

Ambassador Cao Thi Thanh Huong on a meeting with YCH Group, a leading corporation in supply chain and Logistics in Singapore. Photo: PA

You made great efforts to promote economic diplomacy with prominent business forums. What are the changes in economic cooperation between the two countries in recent years?

The interesting thing is that although Singapore is small, with a small population, its GDP is higher than larger countries in terms of area and population. It is because Singapore knows how to promote its geographical position, position the country as a regional center in finance, trade, investment, services, and transportation, on the basis of maintaining an open economy, interacting with a large international market, participating in regional and global supply chains.

With the economic cooperation with Singapore, the Embassy cooperated with Vietnamese agencies in the area to have initiatives to attract investment, promote the export of Vietnamese goods, and all possibilities of economic cooperation.

Economic diplomatic activities are, accounting for about 70% of the amount and duration of foreign activities in the area. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, these activities continued to be held online.

I remember that during the official visit to Singapore by former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in April 2018, the Embassy held an event to connect Vietnamese businesses with local businesses, including YCH Logistics of Singapore.

Thanks to that, the two Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Singapore pressed the button to launch the ASEAN Smart Logistics Network with the first project "Vinh Phuc ICD Logistics Center (SuperPort)."

The project is invested by T&T Group (Vietnam) and YCH Holdings (Singapore). The project applied the most advanced technology in Asia, with a total investment of more than VND3,800 billion (US$160.3 million).

Investment from Singapore into Vietnam has grown enormously in five years, bringing Singapore to second place only after the RoK.

From 2020 to now, despite being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and uncertainties of the world situation, Singapore is the largest investor by year in Vietnam, with registered investment capital of US$9 billion (2020), US$10.7 billion (2021) ) and US$6.45 billion (2022).

Ambassador Cao Thi Thanh Huong in the event of beating the gong to open the Singapore stock exchange SGX. Photo: PA

Video: Official welcome ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife in Singapore

The "predestined" relationship with Singapore is probably still a part of your life to this day? What do you expect about the future of relations between the two countries?

My time with Singapore has become an unforgettable part of my diplomatic life and that "predestined relationship" continues to be present in my life to this day.

The feats achieved by Singapore are an inspiration to arouse my curiosity and discovery about international economic relations and foreign economic relations. I continue to learn more deeply about Singapore's policies in economic development and lessons learned for Vietnam, in order to "refuel" the young generation.

Looking at the outstanding development of Vietnam-Singapore relations, I believe that Vietnam-Singapore relations will develop strongly and full of vitality.

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