Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kang Kyung-wha shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh on Friday during their meeting in Hà Nội.  — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI —  Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kang Kyung-wha praised Việt Nam’s plans to resume commercial flights with the RoK during her meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh on Friday.

Kang Kyung-wha, the first foreign minister to visit Việt Nam since the COVID-19 pandemic began, proposed the two countries increase the frequency of those flights and hoped that Việt Nam would continue to create favourable conditions for the RoK’s businesspeople to enter following COVID-19 prevention protocols with an aim of fostering the bilateral economic, trade and investment co-operation.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh appreciated Kang Kyung-wha’s visit to Việt Nam, saying it played an important role in strengthening the partnership between the two sides.

“Việt Nam attaches importance to relations with the RoK and is willing to consolidate the Việt Nam-RoK strategic partnership, especially at the time the two countries are looking towards the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2022,” Minh said.

The guest congratulated Việt Nam for its COVID-19 containment and chairmanship of ASEAN in the context of challenges posed by the pandemic.

She expressed her belief that Việt Nam would continue to obtain more socio-economic and external affair achievements in the future based on its 75-year foundation since gaining independence.

As Việt Nam is a key partner in the RoK’s New Southern Policy, the RoK’s government is willing to deepen relations with Việt Nam and continue to support Việt Nam in taking over the role of a non-permanent member of UN Security Council in the 2020-21 term and rotating chair of ASEAN in 2020, she said.

The RoK will closely work with Việt Nam to accelerate the practical and effective implementation of high-level agreements, developing the bilateral relations, she said.

Vietnamese foreign minister Phạm Bình Minh held talks with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

The host spoke highly of maintaining exchanges between the two countries at all levels in spite of COVID-19, proposing the resumption of high-level officials’ visits and maintaining flexible channels of dialogue mechanism.

Deputy PM Minh asked the RoK’s government to shorten the procedures for risk assessment and analysis to create conditions for Việt Nam's agricultural and aquatic products to be exported to the RoK, in the short term, prioritising pomelo and dragon fruit.

Việt Nam also asked for support to improve competitiveness and bring Vietnamese products into the value chain of Korean businesses in the RoK and abroad, contributing to soon reaching the goal of US$100 billion of two-way trade turnover.

The two sides agreed to encourage Korean enterprises to invest and expand the scale of investment in Việt Nam as well as increase non-refundable aids to Việt Nam.

Việt Nam and the RoK will also strengthen collaboration in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, labour, climate change, science and technology.

On international and regional issues, an agreement was reached to continue mutual support for each other for the candidacy of multilateral mechanisms and pledged effective co-operation at multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, WTO, Mekong.

The RoK will continue to support Việt Nam to successfully organise the ASEAN Summit, the 10th Mekong-RoK Ministerial Meeting, the 2nd Mekong-RoK Summit and the Mekong-RoK Business Forum this year.

Việt Nam and the RoK welcome efforts to promote dialogue, peaceful settlement of the North Korea’s nuclear issue, and support the maintenance of peace, stability, security, and resolving disputes in the South China Sea (called East Sea by Việt Nam) by peaceful means in accordance with international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. — VNS