Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ at Nội Bài International Airport on Sunday morning, preparing to depart for Republic of Korea. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA left Hà Nội on Sunday morning for official visits to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and India.

The visits, which will last from December 12-19, are being made at the invitations of Speaker of the Korean National Assembly Park Byeong-seug, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (House of Representatives) of India Om Birla, and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of India Venkaiah Naidu.

Huệ is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái; Secretary General of the NA and Head of the NA Office Bùi Văn Cường; Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vũ Hải Hà; and Head of the NA Standing Committee’s Board for Deputy Affairs and President of the Việt Nam-RoK Friendship Association Nguyễn Thị Thanh.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung; Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Trần Hồng Hà; Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng; and Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyễn Vũ Tùng also joined the delegation.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyễn Vũ Tùng during an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondent based in South Korea. — VNA/VNS Photo

Ambassador Tùng, during an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency ahead of the trip to RoK that started on Sunday, said the visit plays an important role in elevating the Việt Nam-RoK relations, and coveys a message on determination of the countries’ senior leaders in resuming visits by high-ranking officials and people-to-people exchange. 

The ambassador underlined that economic cooperation is considered a key factor and greatly contributes to the bilateral relations, even in the context of COVID-19.

According to the General Department of Việt Nam Customs, Việt Nam-RoK trade hit US$56.4 billion in the first nine months of 2021, posting a year-on-year expansion of 18.7 per cent.

The RoK has been among leading foreign investors of Việt Nam. The country channeled $4.36 billion into Việt Nam in 11 months of this year, up 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

As of late November, total registered capital of the RoK had reached $74.14 billion with 9,203 valid projects, coming first in terms of registered capital and project number out of 141 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam. 

The Northeastern Asian nation is the second largest official development assistance (ODA) provider of Việt Nam, offering $1.5 billion in the 2016-20 period.

It is also the second major labour market of Việt Nam and the two sides renewed a memorandum of understanding on the issue this year.

The RoK is a significant source of tourists for Việt Nam and the tourism cooperation is projected to recover in the near future.

More than 216,000 Vietnamese are living in the RoK, and the RoK community in Việt Nam comprises about 160,000 people. Over 60 Vietnamese localities inked cooperation agreements with their RoK counterparts.

The countries’ successful cooperation has offered a new international position for both nations, the diplomat said. 

Việt Nam and the RoK are working together in the implementation of the RoK’s New Southern Policy and cooperation programmes in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thereby contributing to peace, stability in the region and maintaining ASEAN’s central role. 

The visit will demonstrate Party and State leaders' attention to the Vietnamese community in the RoK, Tùng said, addingthat during his trip, the NA Chairman will attend an inaugural ceremony of the new headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK.

The ambassador said that Việt Nam and the RoK hold huge potential and opportunities for cooperation thanks to political determination and vision of the two countries' leaders, together with similarities in the nations’ history and culture. — VNS