Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh holds telephone talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on June 7 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh on June 7 afternoon held telephone talks withSingaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on remarks by SingaporeanPrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 31.
During the talks, held at a request by the Singaporean side,the Singaporean Minister affirmed his country attaches great importance to thestrategic partnership with Vietnam and explained the context of the remarks,saying they are not meant to hurt Vietnam and Cambodia.
Deputy PM, Minister Minh stressed that the remarks havecaused a negative response, especially in the context that the Cambodian peoplerecently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their escape from thePol Pot genocidal regime and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts ofCambodia (ECCC) issued a verdict on the crime against humanity committed by theKhmer Rouge, making fair restitution to the victims and their families, whichwas welcomed by the international community and the United Nations.
The Deputy PM affirmed that the justice and the hugecontributions and sacrifices by the Vietnamese volunteer troops, who weredescribed by the Cambodian as “Buddha’s army”, helped Cambodia out of genocide,contributed to peace, stability and development of the region. Minh also askedSingapore to take suitable adjustment.
The two agreed to continue the close cooperation so as toconsolidate and develop the Vietnam – Singapore relations as well as tostrengthen the solidarity and unity of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN).-VNA
VNA
