Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly arrive at Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

SEOUL — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam, arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13 at the invitation of President of the RoK Lee Jae Myung and his wife.

The Party chief and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RoK Cho Hyun, RoK Ambassador to Việt Nam Choi Young Sam and his wife, Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vũ Hồ, staff of the Vietnamese embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the RoK.

More than 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the relationship between Việt Nam and the RoK has become a model of a very special, effective, and substantive partnership. It has reached its highest framework – Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – with a very high level of political trust, thanks to substantive cooperation in various fields that has brought tangible benefits to the people and business communities of both sides.

The RoK is currently Việt Nam's largest investor and its third-biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, Việt Nam is the RoK’s top priority partner for development assistance.

Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea, welcomes Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Collaboration in culture, education, labour, tourism, and other areas has recorded significant achievements as well. In the field of science, technology, and innovation, an area expected to become a new pillar of bilateral relations, Việt Nam and the RoK have achieved many promising and encouraging outcomes.

As Việt Nam advances its major national development orientations, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm’s state visit demonstrates the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, diversification of external relations, and proactive, active, comprehensive, intensive, extensive and effective international integration. It is also an important diplomatic activity aimed at promoting the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 59 on international integration in the new situation. — VNA/VNS