Singaporean Foreign Minister Aingapore Shanmugam (Photo: AFP)

(VOVworld) – The Singapore-Vietnam relationship is growing dramatically, and is close in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Singaporean Foreign Minister Aingapore Shanmugam made the statement in an interview with Vietnam News Agency on the 40^th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties. Shanmugam said the development of bilateral ties is a favorable basis for the two countries moving towards a strategic partnership. Shanmugam said that to achieve the target of establishing an ASEAN community by 2015, Singapore and Vietnam need to focus on the pillars – economics, politics, society, and culture. He added that promoting people-to-people connections will help the two countries understand each other’s culture and improve their economic competitiveness in the world.