PM Phuc meets with Singaporean counterpart on regional summit sidelines

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the latter's request on the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on June 22, 2019. Photo: VGP

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PM Phuc expressed dissatisfaction with Lee’s remarks on May 31, 2019 on Viet Nam and Cambodia in 1979-1980 period.

Phuc affirmed history has proved that Singapore’s standpoints on Viet Nam’s role in the aforesaid period were not correct and Lee’s remarks recalling that period have deeply hurt Viet Nam and Cambodia, especially relatives of hundreds of  thousands of voluntary Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives to help Cambodian people to get rid of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and to rebuild the country thereafter.

PM Lee explained that he did not mean to hurt Viet Nam when he recalled that painful chapter of the region. 

Singapore attaches great importance to the friendly ties and trust with Viet Nam, highly valuing Viet Nam’s role and contributions so far to the maintenance of peace, security, stability and development in the region as well as in the process of building a strong, united and self-reliant ASEAN Community, Lee said.

The two leaders said their meeting helps both sides better understand each other and agreed to look to the future and focus on accelerating the Viet Nam-Singapore strategic partnership across fields.

As Viet Nam will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship and non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council in 2020, the pair agreed to intensify exchanges, consultation and coordination of positions on regional and international issues of common concerns for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Regarding the East Sea issue, PM Phuc and PM Lee agreed to continue strengthening cooperation and coordination in fostering the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and in early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is practical, effective to safeguard interests of the international community./.

By Quang Minh