Vietnamese President Triet concludes state visit to Singapore
By Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 November 2009 0011 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet ended his two-day state visit to Singapore on Tuesday, with an orchid named in his honour.

President Triet met Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi, where both sides affirmed warm relations and cooperation between the Vietnam National Assembly and the Singapore Parliament.

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Professor S Jayakumar also called on the Vietnamese president.

At a lecture given by President Triet, Prof Jayakumar said he looked forward to seeing Vietnam join the expanded Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP).

He said the move will help position the TPP as a viable building block towards an eventual Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

President Triet also visited the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Stele at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

His programme ended with a visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where an orchid - the Spathoglottis Phong Chi - was named in his and his wife Madam Tran Thi Kim Chi's honour.

- CNA/sc