Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse leave Hà Nội on Sunday morning for their visit to the Republic of Korea. VNA/VNS Photos Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, his spouse Lê Thị Bích Trân and a Vietnamese delegation arrived in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on Sunday afternoon to start an official visit to the country from June 30-July 3.

The visit is made at the invitation of RoK Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and his spouse, marking the first official visit of a high-ranking Vietnamese leader to the RoK since the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

An official welcoming ceremony was held right at Seongnam military airport for the Vietnamese delegation.

RoK officials welcome PM Chính and his spouse at Seongnam Seoul Air Base, Gyeonggi province. the RoK on Sunday.

PM Chính is scheduled to engage in more than 30 activities, including official meetings with high-ranking Korean leaders, attending and speaking at business, tourism promotion, cultural cooperation, and labour forums; and roundtables with leaders of Korean economic organisations and intellectuals and scientists in the fields of semiconductor and artificial intelligence.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the eve of the visit, RoK Prime Minister Han Duck Soo said PM Chính’s visit is expected to help consolidate political trust and deepen strategic cooperation between the two nations.

Han highlighted that the visits by high-ranking leaders of the two nations have contributed significantly to their close ties, elaborating that Việt Nam and the RoK have built the world’s leading exemplary cooperative relations over the past 30 years and become important trade partners of each other with two-way trade amounting to nearly US$100 billion and expected to reach $150 billion by 2030.

According to Han, as Việt Nam is a key partner of the RoK government in its Korea – ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the RoK wants to step up the win-win and practical partnership with the Southeast Asian nation to ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid rapid changes in the nation.

To achieve the goal, it is significant to enhance strategic exchange and contact between key leaders of both sides. PM Chính’s visit is a good opportunity to enhance the need to capitalise on their cooperation mechanisms such as dialogues between the foreign ministers.

It is necessary for them to bolster the bilateral ties extensively in key areas, including economy and trade for economic recovery, he said, holding that as they are inseparable partners in sustainable economic development, they should expand the existing cooperation to other fields of economic security, science-technology, climate change, human resources training and culture.

Touching upon global issues, he said the RoK government, penning its strategic vision to become a global pivotal state, is striving to contribute more to global freedom, peace, and prosperity, while Việt Nam, with its increasing position, is expected to play a larger role in the international arena. Therefore, the two sides, as comprehensive strategic partners of each other, have great demand for further cooperation in regional and international issues.

The RoK highly values Việt Nam’s support for the country to peacefully handle the nuclear problem of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, he said, expressing his hope that the two nations will continue working on the issue.

For the climate change response cooperation, he said he believes that the two nations could play a key role in turning the climate crisis into green growth and other new opportunities.

As leading signatories to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Việt Nam and the RoK have opened up the market for the carbon reduction sector while accelerating the transition to environmentally-friendly energy.

He went on to say that people-to-people exchanges have been a motive for the sustainable relations between the two countries, highlighting the Vietnamese and Korean communities, with 200,000 people in each nation, have served as a bridge that contributes to fostering the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, science-technology and human resources development.

RoK Ambassador to Việt Nam Choi Young Sam said PM Chính’s visit to the RoK marks a pivotal moment in further elevating the RoK-Vietnam relationship, which is considered at its best, to an even higher level.

Talking with the press, Choi said the visit will be the first highest-level engagement with the RoK since the two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. It comes exactly one year after President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit, which is of special significance.

Additionally, both sides will explore ways to enhance regional cooperation, including within ASEAN and the Mekong sub-region, and collaborate on addressing global challenges such as climate change to contribute to global and regional peace and prosperity.

He said the Korean Embassy and relevant agencies are making every effort to ensure the visit yields the best possible results.

He underlined the need for both countries to expand their cooperation beyond the current focus on manufacturing, venturing into areas such as digital transformation, green transition and cultural industries.

The diplomat also shared his vision for collaboration on carbon-free energy transition, including green hydrogen and future green industries like waste recycling, energy conversion, and smart water management.

During a year in Việt Nam, Choi has observed numerous similarities between the two countries. He praised the Vietnamese people's strong family values, diligence, honesty and sense of responsibility, which he finds reminiscent of Koreans. Việt Nam's ability to preserve its traditions while embracing changes, pride in its history, and forward-looking young generation continues to inspire him.

In gratitude for the warmth and affection he has received from the Vietnamese people over his 35-year diplomatic career, Choi pledged to strive for the continued development of the RoK-Việt Nam relationship in the years to come.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ said the trip underscores the importance that Vietnamese Party and State leaders have attached to the Comprehensive strategic partnership with the RoK. It also signifies a commitment to actualising the agreements made by leaders, particularly the Action Plan to implement the bilateral Comprehensive strategic partnership, which was signed in June 2023 following the upgrade of the relationship.

It will provide an opportunity for both nations to evaluate the recent progress in their Comprehensive strategic partnership and discuss strategic matters related to national defence-security, economic-trade-investment ties, people-to-people exchange, joint work at multilateral forums and other key areas.

Amid the rapidly evolving and complex global and regional landscape, the visit continues to reaffirm Việt Nam's foreign policy that treasures its friendship and cooperation with the RoK. It also expresses Vietnam's commitment to contributing to the maintenance and promotion of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond, he said. VNS