DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister for Law Professor S Jayakumar and the Vietnamese Minister of Justice, Mr Ha Hung Cuong, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on legal and judicial cooperation on Wednesday.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Mr Truong Vinh Trong, who led the Vietnamese delegation on a visit to Singapore, witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

A Law Ministry media release said on Wednesday the Vietnamese delegation is in the Republic for a three-day visit until Thursday.

Under this Memorandum of Understanding, legal and judicial cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam will be strengthened and developed further. The two countries will also work towards enhancing greater understanding of each country's laws, legal systems and legal institutions.

Singapore and Vietnam will cooperate in a wide range of areas, which include the drafting and administration of laws, development of legal and judicial expertise, development and promotion of domestic and international dispute resolution mechanisms, including arbitration and mediation, and administration and governance in the legal and judicial field.

Cooperation between the two countries can take various forms, including the exchange of legal materials and publications, exchange of visits between relevant personnel (for example judges, academics, and legal practitioners), and interactions through lectures, conferences, seminars and symposia.

A Joint Committee, comprising senior officials from Singapore and Vietnam, will be established to coordinate, monitor and review cooperative activities and programmes for the mutual benefit of both countries.