Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (centre) held talks with RoK Ambassador to Việt Nam Park Noh-wan during a reception in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always attaches importance to the Strategic Cooperative Partnership with the Republic of Korea (RoK) and is ready to work closely with the RoK to optimise existing mechanisms between the two countries to elevate bilateral cooperation, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính told RoK Ambassador to Việt Nam Park Noh-wan during a reception in Hà Nội on Tuesday. 

The Vietnamese Government leader suggested the two sides maintain the exchange of delegations and high-level meetings in flexible forms, and promote people-to-people diplomacy for better mutual understanding and trust. 

He thanked the RoK Government and businesses for their support for Việt Nam in the fight against COVID-19, and expressed the hope that the RoK side will continue to cooperate with and support Việt Nam in combating COVID-19, especially in terms of accessing vaccine supplies and medicines for COVID-19 treatment, developing the pharmaceutical industry, and improving medical capacity.

Regarding economic cooperation, PM Chính wished that the two sides would continue to encourage Korean businesses to invest more in Việt Nam. 

He suggested that the two sides consider the early resumption of commercial flights and recognition of each other's vaccine passports for resuming economic activities between the two countries. He called on the RoK side to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country.

For his part, Ambassador Park Noh-wan praised Việt Nam’s recent flexible, effective and appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures, especially in responding to the fourth wave of outbreaks, towards the goal of "safe adaptation to the pandemic".

He announced that the RoK government will donate 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Việt Nam, and this batch of vaccines is expected to arrive in Việt Nam on Wednesday.

The RoK will continue to consider more medical assistance, including vaccines, for Việt Nam in the near future, he said, affirming that Viet Nam is one of the most important partners of the RoK.

The ambassador noted that despite the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade between Việt Nam and the RoK still grew 18 per cent, and Việt Nam remains an attractive and safe destination for RoK investors. The RoK's new investment in Việt Nam this year surged by 24 per cent over the previous year.

He said the RoK side wants to lift the relations between the two countries to a new height on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. 

He took the occasion to convey the RoK Prime Minister's invitation to visit the RoK to PM Chính and the Vietnamese leader gladly accepted the invitation, saying that the trip will be arranged through diplomatic channels. — VNS