President Trần Đại Quang (r) receives Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Kang Kyung Wha, in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — President Trần Đại Quang hosted Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Kang Kyung Wha, in Hà Nội yesterday, expressing his delight at the robust development of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas over the past 25 years, particularly after the two countries raised ties to strategic partnership in 2009. 

The RoK has become Việt Nam’s most important partner, ranking first in foreign direct investment and second in trade, ODA and tourism while Việt Nam was the RoK’s fourth largest trade partner and more and more Vietnamese are working and living in the East Asian nation, the President told FM Kang, who is on an official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh. 

Quang praised the “Miracle on the Han River” and congratulated the RoK on its recent socio-economic development and the success of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018 hosted by the country. 

He suggested the two countries further increase bilateral cooperation, adding that Việt Nam looked forward to the RoK’s enhanced support in technology, and sustainable development. 

He hoped the RoK facilitates Vietnamese agro-forestry and seafood products to enter the Korean market, fosters two-way trade and continues providing Việt Nam with ODA. 

The President stressed Việt Nam welcomes the RoK’s new ‘Look South’ policy for peace, co-operation and development, and wanted the two countries to step up coordination in regional and international issues of mutual interest as well as support at regional and international forums. 

Việt Nam welcomed and was ready to greet RoK President Moon Jae-in’s State visit to Việt Nam, he said. 

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha, for her part, thanked President Quang for his hospitality. She informed the President on the outcomes of her talks with Deputy PM and FM Phạm Bình Minh during which the two sides reviewed progress of the two nations’ bilateral ties and discussed schedules on President Moon’s upcoming visit to Việt Nam. 

The RoK expects President Moon’s visit would create impetus for the two countries’ ties to harvest more practical results in cooperation fields, she noted.

Meeting Prime Minister Phúc

Việt Nam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were developing co-operation in many traditional aspects very well, and they should expand their ties to other fields in the future, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc told visiting RoK Foreign Minister. 

The host leader said the two countries’ co-operation had been developed in a rapid, effective and trustworthy manner. While political ties have been reinforced, economic and trade partnerships have been growing strongly, bringing benefits to both sides.

He welcomed the RoK’s new ‘Look South’ policy with the aim of promoting peace, stability and development, which includes Việt Nam as a key partner. 

He asked the countries to promote economic, trade and investment co-operation in a balanced, stable and effective fashion. They also need to take measures to boost bilateral trade to US$100 billion in 2020, promote trade balance, and remove quarantine obstacles to facilitate the export of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products, including star apples, to the RoK in 2018. 

Phúc expressed his hope that the RoK would continue to be the top investor in Việt Nam, involved in major infrastructure projects, renewable energy development, equitisation of State-owned enterprises and restructuring of local commercial banks. 

As both are coastal nations, Việt Nam hoped the RoK would share its experience in developing a sea-based economy and support Việt Nam and ASEAN’s viewpoint on the East Sea issue. 

For her part, Minister Kang thanked the Government and Việt Nam’s PM for supporting activities of Samsung, whose mobile phones manufactured in Việt Nam have been exported around the world. 

She affirmed that her country paid special attention to the cooperation between the RoK and ASEAN, including Việt Nam, which played a very important role in this relationship. 

The RoK was scheduled to host an ASEAN-RoK special summit in 2019, and it hoped that Việt Nam would support this event so that both sides can intensify co-operation, she said, adding that her country backed Việt Nam’s viewpoint on the East Sea issue. 

The official said there are many Vietnamese people in the RoK and vice versa, which is a precious asset of both countries. The RoK Government is making efforts to support the Vietnamese community in her country. — VNS