Remarks by Ambassador of Singapore to Vietnam, H.E. Ng Teck Hean, at VUFO Medal Presentation Ceremony, 21 March 2016, Hanoi, Vietnam

- Your Excellency Vu Xuan Hong, President of VUFO

- Mr Vu Viet Ngoan, President of the Singapore-Vietnam Friendship Association

- Friends and colleagues from VUFO and the Commission of External Relations of
  the Communist Party of Vietnam

- Ladies and Gentlemen

1         I am deeply honoured to receive the Medal for Peace and Friendship Among Nations from the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO).  I accept this award with gratitude, on behalf of all my colleagues in the Singapore Embassy who have worked hard to advance the strong bilateral relationship and foster closer people-to-people ties between Singapore and Vietnam.

2            During my term as Ambassador, I am glad to have witnessed and played a part in the significant progress made in Singapore-Vietnam relations.  Our bilateral relationship reached a historic milestone in 2013 when it was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership.  Since then, our multi-faceted cooperation has continued to expand and deepen.  Singapore is the 3^rd largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with total investments exceeding US$36 billion.  The strong Government-to-Government and economic links between our countries have not only strengthened the ties between our ministries and agencies, but also fostered more frequent exchanges between grassroots and social organisations such as the Peoples’ Association in Singapore, VUFO and the Vietnam Fatherland Front.  For instance, Vietnam’s traditional “ao dai” and Gong performance was a highlight at last year’s Chingay Parade in Singapore.  Likewise, various groups under the People’s Association also participated in a number of cultural events in Vietnam, such as the 8^th Hue Festival in 2014.

3            As I look back upon my time in Hanoi, I am heartened that I will be leaving with many long-lasting friendships and fond memories of this country. At a recent farewell dinner hosted for me, I was asked about the most memorable event during my posting to Vietnam.  While I could have easily rattled off a long list of achievements in Singapore-Vietnam relations over the last three years, I recounted instead an episode that touched me immensely.  It happened almost a year ago when our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away on 23 March 2015.  We opened a Condolence Book at the Singapore residence, and many Party and government leaders, officials as well as ordinary Vietnamese came to pay their respects to the late Mr Lee who had played a pivotal role in laying a strong foundation in the early years for the development of Singapore-Vietnam relations.

4            Among them was a woman from Thanh Hoa who had taken a four-hour journey on a bus to Hanoi just to pay her respects to the late Mr Lee.  I invited her for tea after she had presented flowers and written a condolence message.  However, she could not stay on as she had to catch the bus back to Thanh Hoa – which was another four-hour journey.  As I walked her down the steps of my residence, I expressed my appreciation to her for making the long journey to pay her respects to Mr Lee and asked about her relationship with Singapore.  She told me that she was a farmer, and she was very grateful that her son could study in Singapore because of Mr Lee and the Singapore Government.  This lady’s sincerity has left an indelible impression on me.  It reminded me that ordinary people are always the ones most affected by the policy decisions we make.  It also showed me that human interactions are important for state-to-state relations because good people-to-people ties will help to forge stronger relationships and deeper cooperation between our businesses and governments.  This is why the Embassy and organisations like VUFO and the Singapore-Vietnam Friendship Association play a very important role in bringing our two countries closer to each other. 

5         I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Singapore’s Ambassador to Vietnam.  I feel particularly fortunate to have met many good Vietnamese friends across different walks of life and from various segments of the society.  As I return to Singapore to take on a new assignment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I will bring back many good memories of Vietnam and its people, and will continue to play a constructive and positive role in fostering even closer relations between our two countries.  Thank you.

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