(VOVworld) – Vietnam attaches great importance to its ties with Singapore, said State President Truong Tan Sang while receiving the Speaker of the Singapore Parliament, Halimah Jacob, in Hanoi on Thursday. He hailed Singapore’s role in ASEAN, noting that strengthened cooperation between the two Parliaments is key to boosting the Vietnam-Singapore strategic partnership. He proposed both sides to increase political exchanges through high-ranking visits and asked Singapore to share with Vietnam its experiences in finance, trade, and education. Ms. Jacob said Singapore is currently Vietnam’s third largest investor, adding that Singapore will soon open 2 new industrial zones in Vietnam in addition to the 5 existing ones. She suggested both sides deepen bilateral ties to contribute to the successful establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community.