Singapore PM visits Vietnam

Singapore PM visits Vietnam

VIETNAM: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is making his
first official visit to Vietnam since taking office in August.

Lee was expected to meet with his Vietnamese counterpart Prime
Minister Phan Van Khai, President Tran Duc Luong and Communist
Party chief Nong Duc Manh during his two-day visit opening on
Monday.

He was traveling with Foreign Minister George Yeo and Minister
of Commerce and Industry Lim Hng Kiang. Lee attended the Asia-
Europe summit in Hanoi in October, but this marks the first time
he has called on Vietnamese leaders since taking office in
August.

As Vietnam moves toward a market economy, it is looking to
Singapore for expertise and capital in banking and finance,
aviation, services, tourism, education, telecommunications and
technology, the Vietnam News reported.

Singapore, in turn, needs natural resources and labor from
Vietnam, it said.

Singapore is Vietnam's biggest export market in Southeast Asia
with two-way trade totaling US$3.6 billion in the first half of
2004. --AP