Viet Nam's MAE advances ASEAN partnerships

Minister Trinh Viet Hung held bilateral working sessions with Singapore and Thailand to deepen cooperation in high-tech agriculture, environmental management, digital transformation and sustainable development.

As part of the foreign affairs program led by General Secretary and President To Lam from May 27 to June 1, 2026, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung held bilateral meetings with counterparts in Singapore and Thailand to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, the environment, and sustainable development.

Deepening ties with Singapore on high technology, disaster prevention and sustainability

In Singapore, Minister Trinh Viet Hung met with Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary. The minister called on both sides to expand cooperation in applying technology to disaster prevention, developing fisheries vessel management systems, environmental management and other areas where Singapore holds competitive advantages. Viet Nam expressed its desire to learn from Singapore's experience and adopt new technologies to improve fisheries governance while broadening mutually beneficial opportunities that support job creation, income growth and food security.

Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary noted that Singapore places particular emphasis on climate change adaptation, flood management and extreme weather preparedness. The city-state has developed warning systems that draw on hydrometeorological data, weather forecasting, and geographic monitoring, guided by a prevention-first philosophy. Disaster response funding is allocated by sector, including the military, healthcare and community, with the government stepping in to supplement resources when large-scale or prolonged crises arise.

Both sides agreed that significant opportunities remain in digital transformation, automation and sustainable fisheries management, particularly in digitizing vessel monitoring systems, fishing licenses, catch controls and port operations.

Minister Trinh Viet Hung presented Senior Minister of State Puthucheary with Thai Nguyen tea, a signature Vietnamese agricultural product, and extended a formal invitation for Singapore's Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to make an early visit to Viet Nam's MAE.

On sustainable development, Singapore's delegation outlined its key priorities: reducing resource consumption, promoting reuse and recycling, expanding solar energy and preserving biodiversity. On waste management, Singapore is targeting zero waste generation and continues to scale up recycling efforts. Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed appreciation for Singapore's living environment and environmental standards, and proposed that both countries continue exchanges on low-emission standards, carbon reduction in the energy sector and other areas of mutual interest.

Strengthening business connectivity with Vietnamese localities and farmers

On the afternoon of May 28, Minister Trinh Viet Hung met with Soopakij Chearavanont, Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group), on the sidelines of the 2026 Viet Nam-Thailand Business Forum, an event attended by General Secretary and President To Lam, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and nearly 700 companies from both countries.

At the forum, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the two countries are pursuing new growth drivers across semiconductors, electric vehicles, the digital economy, smart agriculture, health economy and clean energy, calling on future cooperation to concentrate on green economy, renewable energy, digital transformation, science and technology, and innovation.

General Secretary and President To Lam urged businesses from both countries to accelerate the development of Viet Nam-Thailand value chains within the ASEAN space, and to draw up a priority project list for the 2026-2030 period spanning logistics, agriculture, food, clean energy, digital trade, tourism and workforce training.

At the bilateral meeting, Minister Trinh Viet Hung praised C.P. Group's long-standing commitment to Viet Nam and encouraged the conglomerate to continue expanding its investment footprint. The MAE pledged to accompany and support the company in navigating administrative procedures to ensure smooth project implementation.

The minister commended C.P. Group's integrated production model under its "Feed-Farm-Food" (3F) approach and acknowledged the company's positive contributions to Viet Nam's economic growth and to Viet Nam-Thailand bilateral relations.

C.P. Group Chairman Soopakij Chearavanont noted that more than 30,000 Vietnamese workers are currently employed across the group's operations in the country. Beyond job creation, the company supports farmers through farm development models and farmer partnership programs, guided by a development philosophy that prioritizes the interests of the host country and its people before those of the company itself.

Both parties expressed confidence that the partnership between Viet Nam's MAE and C.P. Group will continue to deepen, driving technology transfer, high-value agricultural production chains, greater competitiveness for Viet Nam's livestock sector, expanded employment and livelihoods, and progress toward food security, green growth and sustainable agricultural development. Minister Trinh Viet Hung called on C.P. Group to continue coordinating with local authorities, particularly in the regions surrounding Hanoi, to develop livestock farming, ramp up exports to Japan, South Korea and the European Union, and accelerate technology transfer alongside investment in advanced technologies in Viet Nam.

Throughout General Secretary and President To Lam's state visit spanning Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, Minister Trinh Viet Hung also participated in senior-level engagements with a range of major international companies and organizations, including Sembcorp, SATS, Sea Limited, UOB Bank, Aboitiz Foods, Grab, the Asian Development Bank and the World Health Organization, gathering intelligence and opening new avenues for attracting fast-moving and sustainable investment into Viet Nam's agriculture and environment sectors.

Khuong Trung