Party General Secretary Tô Lâm met with mayor of Busan Park Heong-joon in the South Korean city on Wednesday morning as part of his ongoing state visit. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

BUSAN – Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has asked the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Busan city to broaden ties with Vietnamese provinces and cities, as well as support expanded investment in such priority sectors as science and technology, satellite urban development, logistics and tourism.

Hosting a reception for Busan Mayor Park Heong-Joon on Wednesday as part of his ongoing state visit to the East Asian country, Lâm briefed his guest on the high-level talks with President Lee Jae Myung, during which the two leaders agreed to support and stand ready to facilitate cooperation between localities of both sides.

He described this as a strategic opportunity for Busan and Vietnamese cities and provinces to elevate their substantive cooperation, suggesting the Korean city share development models and locate a smart port operation system in one of Việt Nam’s key coastal economic zones, while seeking enhanced connectivity and assistance for the Vietnamese film industry.

The Party leader also congratulated the city on its remarkable development achievements, after Busan became the RoK’s second-largest economic hub and the world's fifth-largest port city. He also highlighted Busan's unique geographical proximity to Việt Nam and its excellent relations with Vietnamese localities.

Mayor Park, for his part, confirmed Busan’s critical role in advancing economic ties with HCM City and Việt Nam as a whole, stressing Busan’s commitment to closer collaboration with the southern Vietnamese economic hub to help transform the South Korean city into a global administrative hub.

Welcoming the Party chief’s suggestions, he pledged that Busan will continue to work closely with HCM City and other Vietnamese localities to promote substantive collaboration in areas where both sides boast complementary strengths, contributing to concretising the agreements reached by high-ranking leaders of the two countries.

He also confirmed the city’s readiness to support the activities of the newly established Vietnamese Consulate General and to implement policies that protect the legitimate rights of Vietnamese citizens in the city, ensuring their continued contributions to Busan’s development as well as their bridging role to nurture the Việt Nam – RoK friendship. VNA/VNS