The 38th Singapore Lecture “Strengthening Partnership for Regional Sustainable Development” By H.E. Tran Dai Quang

H.E. Tran Dai Quang delivering the 38th Singapore Lecture entitled “Strengthening Partnership for Regional Sustainable Development (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean delivering his opening address (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

Tuesday, 30 August 2016 – President Tran Dai Quang of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam delivered the 38^th Singapore Lecture hosted by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute this morning at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore Hotel.

The lecture, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, was titled “Strengthening Partnership for Regional Sustainable Development”. President Tran Dai Quang is the first Vietnamese leader to deliver a Singapore Lecture.

The 38th Singapore Lecture was also attended by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong; Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Minister-in-Attendance, Chan Chun Sing; Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Transport) Josephine Teo and Senior Minister of State (Defence and Foreign Affairs) Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

In his lecture, President Quang noted that the trends for regional development were favourable, and these include the commitment of countries in Southeast Asia to cooperate in achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs), and the international community’s pledge to fulfil the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP 21). At the same time, he raised concerns about the traditional as well as non-traditional security challenges facing countries in the region, which may derail their joint efforts to promote sustainable development.

President Quang expressing his concerns about both the traditional and non-traditional security challenges confronting countries in the region (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

“Should we allow instability to take place, especially in the case of armed conflicts, there will be neither winners nor losers, but rather all will lose,” he stressed.

President Quang emphasized that for regional countries to deal with these challenges, the existence of a “multipolar, multi-layered regional architecture in which ASEAN played a central role” was critical, and that there should be no place for the “might makes right” mindset to grow, or for the use of force.

President Quang highlighted Vietnam’s reform efforts to speed up its national development in a sustainable way, and stressed its foreign policy of “diversification and multilateralization” aimed at developing friendly ties with neighbouring countries, promoting cooperation with major and important partners, and keeping its international commitments.

President Quang acknowledging Singapore’s role in Vietnam’s economic development over the past three decades (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

Addressing Vietnam’s position on the South China Sea dispute, President Quang reaffirmed that Vietnam sought to settle disputes by peaceful means through the political, diplomatic and legal process on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Finally, President Quang expressed his appreciation of the role that Singapore had played in Vietnam’s economic development over the past three decades. He thanked Singapore leaders, especially the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, for the practical and effective assistance that Singapore had accorded Vietnam in recent years.

Looking forward, President Quang expressed hope that Vietnam and Singapore could work together to further deepen their bilateral Strategic Partnership across all areas. The goal of the bilateral partnership, he stressed, was “nothing but a prosperous Singapore and a sustainably developing Vietnam” which can contribute to the “building of a prosperous ASEAN Community and an Asia-Pacific region of peace, security and development”.

President Quang addressing questions during the Q&A session (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

President Quang’s lecture was attended by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong; Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Minister-in-Attendance; Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Transport); Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State (Defence and Foreign Affairs) and Ms Catherine Wong, Singapore’s Ambassador-Designate to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese delegation included Mr Dao Viet Trung, Minister, Chairman of President’s Office; Mr Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment; Mr Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade; Mr Phung Xuan Nha, Minister of Education and Training; Mr Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Public Security; Mr Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Mr Vu Hong Nam, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of Binh Duong Province; and Mr Nguyen Tien Minh, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Singapore.

Close to 550 people, including diplomats, government officials, business leaders, academics, students and members of the media, also attended the lecture.

Participants at the 38th Singapore Lecture (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)

The Singapore Lecture series is an intellectual highlight designed for world statesmen and leaders to present their insights on relevant issues of regional significance to a wider audience in Singapore. The most recent Singapore lectures were delivered by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean’s Opening Remarks

Click here to view the opening remarks.

President Quang’s Singapore Lecture: “Strengthening Partnership for Regional Sustainable Development”

Click here to read the full text. 

Full Video Recording of the 38th Singapore Lecture

Click here to view the video.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Channel News Asia – Singapore’s success a ‘valuable lesson’: President Tran Dai Quang
The success of Singapore is a “valuable lesson” for Vietnam in its national construction and defence, said visiting Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang on Tuesday (Aug 30).

To read more, click here.

The Straits Times – Vietnam President stresses importance of Asean unity
Region faces key challenges such as maritime, resource disputes 

To read more, click here.

The Business Times – Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang in Singapore for three-day state visit
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang arrives on Sunday in Singapore for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral and business ties.

To read more, click here.

TODAY – Vietnamese President calls for win-win solution to ‘worrying’ disputes in South China Sea
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Tuesday (Aug 30) said the situation in the South China Sea was “worrying”, as he called for a win-win solution to the dispute based on international law.

To read more, click here.

TODAY – Navigating the South China Sea issue at the Asean Summits
The 28th and 29th Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) Summits and Related Meetings kick off in Vientiane, Laos, today. This is the first time Asean will hold back-to-back summits as it seeks to streamline working methods, departing from the traditional arrangement of intra-regional discussions in the first half of the year and wider discussions with dialogue partners at the year-end meetings.

To read more, click here.

TODAY – Vibrant economic ties between S’pore, Vietnam lauded
President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday lauded close economic ties between Singapore and Vietnam, as he hosted a state visit by his counterpart Tran Dai Quang.

To read more, click here.

The Jakarta Post – Singapore, Hanoi explore greater connectivity
Singapore and Vietnam Monday welcomed the prospect of increasing connectivity between them, through enhancing their air services agreement.

To read more, click here. 

Bangkok Post – Asean urged to look beyond consensus in decision making
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang suggested Tuesday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations adjust its long-held practice of applying the principle of consensus in the 10-member bloc’s decision making so as to be able to deal better with contentious regional issues.

To read more, click here. 

VNExpress – Vietnam says all will lose in any South China Sea war
‘There will be neither winners or losers but rather all will lose.’

To read more, click here. 

Viet Nam News – Strengthening partnership for regional sustainable development: President

To read more, click here. 

Inquirer.Net – Vietnam says all will lose in any South China Sea war
Vietnam’s President Tran Dai Quang warned on Tuesday there would be no winners in any armed conflict sparked by territorial disputes in the South China Sea. 

To read more, click here. 

Asia Times – Why Vietnam highly values its relations with Singapore
In September 2011, Truong Tan Sang made Singapore and Malaysia the destinations of his maiden overseas trip as Vietnam’s Head of State. Five years later, incumbent president Tran Dai Quang followed suit by choosing to visit two fellow ASEAN members, Brunei and Singapore, (from August 26 to 30), on his first foreign trip. This shows how much Hanoi values its relations with Singapore.

To read more, click here.