A digital and green economic partnership between Vietnam and Singapore is on the cards, following President Halimah Yacob’s state visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this week.
Speaking to the media yesterday at the end of her five-day visit, Halimah said that Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had suggested the idea during their meeting earlier in the week. She applauded the suggestion and said both sides would follow up on it.
Halimah also expressed hope that the two countries would be able to develop an Asean power grid, citing Vietnam’s 3,260km-long coastline as having a large potential to produce solar and wind energy.
“It will certainly contribute towards our zero-emissions target because we will have more renewable energy for our use.
“Not just for our use, if there’s excess, then it goes through the Asean region and helps to strengthen Asean solidarity,” she said, noting that both Singapore and Vietnam have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
When asked about the timeline for these goals, Halimah urged patience as the goals require feasibility reports and further discussions, and may take years to reach fruition.
She added that strong policymaking and the will to achieve objectives are needed.
“For Asean, we must have something concrete to work on, and what is more neutral and concrete than having economic initiatives such as this, which can really improve the lives of the people,” she said, referring to the Asean power grid. — The Straits Times/ANN
