(VOVworld)- Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has expressed his delight at the fine development of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore. At a meeting with visiting Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bilahari Kausikan in Hanoi yesterday, Minh spoke highly of the regular exchange of visits by the two countries’ senior officials, which has helped enhance bilateral ties and mutual trust. Bilahari Kausikan urged the two countries to strengthen cooperation in such areas as politics, economics, culture and education to bring Vietnam-Singapore relations to a new level, for the interests of the two countries as well as for the common development of ASEAN. The Singaporean diplomat said Singapore will closely coordinate with Vietnam in 2013 in organising activities to mark the 40^th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2013.

The two sides pledged to increase cooperation at regional and global forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). They also vowed to consolidate the solidarity and central role of ASEAN towards the building of an ASEAN Community by 2015 as well as continued coordination with other ASEAN countries and China in implementing the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and drafting a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).