Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vũ Hồ. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The upcoming official visits to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Mongolia by President of the National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn and his spouse, together with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, hold great diplomatic significance, affirming the Vietnamese Party and State's consistent policy of consolidating ties with the two key partners in Asia.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vũ Hồ said the Korean visit is important both bilaterally and in terms of parliamentary cooperation.

First and foremost, he said, it continues to affirm the importance that the Party, State and NA of Việt Nam consistently attach to the Việt Nam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

According to Hồ, the trip aims to forge stronger political trust, parliamentary cooperation, economic partnership and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. It is expected to move Việt Nam–RoK relations beyond a strong political framework towards concrete and measurable outcomes that bring practical benefits to people and businesses in both countries.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mongolia Nguyễn Tuấn Thành noted that the NA leader's official visit to Mongolia is the second trip by a Vietnamese NA leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1954. It takes place at a time when Việt Nam–Mongolia relations are flourishing and were recently upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership.

It demonstrates the determination of both countries to make the Comprehensive Partnership deeper, more substantive and more effective, he commented.

Creating new value within Việt Nam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Nearly 35 years since their diplomatic relations were set up on December 22, 1992, Việt Nam and the RoK have become trusted partners with strategic-level cooperation, as well as close friends with a deep mutual understanding.

The upgrade of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022 marked a historic milestone, opening up broad space for cooperation across all fields.

Amid the strong development of bilateral ties, parliamentary diplomacy has consistently played a pioneering role in opening the path for cooperation and strengthening political trust. Since the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two NA was signed in November 2025 during a visit to Việt Nam by then Korean NA Speaker Woo Won Sik, ties between the two legislative bodies have made substantial progress.

At a meeting with outgoing Korean Ambassador Choi Young Sam in June 2026, NA President Mẫn said the Vietnamese and Korean NAs should further bring into play their role in promoting the realisation of commitments, agreements, large-scale projects and cooperation programmes between the two countries, and that they should also step up coordination and information sharing on parliamentary activities in each country.

The top legislator pledged that Việt Nam will create a transparent and favourable legal environment for foreign investors, including Korean businesses, to feel secure in making stable, long-term investments in Việt Nam.

Strong institutional and legislative coordination has provided a solid foundation for significant expansion in economic links. The RoK is currently Việt Nam's largest foreign investor, with cumulative registered capital reaching 102.6 billion USD as of the end of July 2026.

Bilateral trade reached 89.5 billion USD in 2025 and an impressive 70 billion USD during the first seven months of 2026, up 41 per cent year-on-year.

The two legislatures are actively working to remove legal barriers to achieving the target of 150 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2030, with a more balanced trade structure.

Science and technology has emerged as a promising area for future cooperation. The Việt Nam–Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) project is entering its second phase, alongside deeper cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, quantum technology and semiconductors.

People-to-people exchanges are also creating a strong natural bond, with nearly 400,000 Vietnamese living in the RoK, around 200,000 Koreans in Việt Nam and approximately 100,000 Việt Nam–Korea multicultural families.

Making Việt Nam–Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership more substantive

Việt Nam and Mongolia set up their diplomatic relations on November 17, 1954.

A historic milestone opening a new chapter in bilateral relations was General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm's state visit to Mongolia in September 2024, during which the two countries officially upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership.

At his meeting with Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia Dashzegve Amarbayasgalan during the visit, General Secretary and President Lâm affirmed that Việt Nam always remembers and cherishes the valuable sentiments and support that the State and people of Mongolia have given to Việt Nam during its past struggles and in the national construction and development process today.

He expressed a wish to promote relations with Mongolia in all fields, in line with the interests, potential and needs of both countries.

As part of joint efforts to intensify the Comprehensive Partnership, legislative cooperation is viewed as a core driving force.

Receiving Mongolian Ambassador to Việt Nam Ganbaatar Hulan in August 2026, NA President Mẫn proposed that the two sides promote a mechanism for regular and substantive dialogue between the two legislatures, including their parliamentary friendship groups, women parliamentarians and young parliamentarians.

He suggested that the two countries strengthen economic cooperation towards the goal of raising bilateral trade to 500 million USD in the coming time.

Despite the geographical distance, their trade has been thriving impressively, hitting more than 155 million USD in 2025.

NA President Mẫn's visit is expected to help thoroughly address bottlenecks in logistics and business connectivity, paving the way for the two countries to soon achieve the 200 million USD trade target and move towards 500 million USD in the near future.

Cultural and social exchanges are also gaining momentum. The 2023 visa exemption agreement has made Việt Nam one of the five most popular destinations for Mongolian tourists.

Sacred cultural symbols, including the Monument and Memorial Room dedicated to President Hồ Chí Minh at School No. 14 in Ulaanbaatar, as well as translated classic literary works such as "Prison Diary" and "The Tale of Kiều", have become enduring sources of spiritual connection that nurture the friendship between the two peoples.

At the multilateral level, the Vietnamese NA's close coordination with the Korean and Mongolian legislatures at prominent regional and global parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is set to help amplify the voice of peace and respect for international law.

The NA leader's official visits to the RoK and Mongolia are expected to be resounding successes, ushering in a new phase of development that is stronger, more substantive, and more enduring, thereby meeting the aspirations of the leaders and peoples of all three nations. — VNA/VNS