NA President Trần Thanh Mẫn and his spouse meet with officials from the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Korea. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn has stressed the need to leverage the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Korea (RoK) to enhance the effectiveness of efforts of attracting investment from the country into Việt Nam.

Speaking at a meeting with officials and staff from the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Seoul on Sunday, as part of his official visit to the RoK, NA President Mẫn said the Vietnamese community there is one of the largest overseas and is playing an increasingly important role in relations between the two countries.

He said Việt Nam needs to focus on addressing issues related to technology transfer, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), intellectual property and the development of a highly skilled workforce.

The goal is to establish a cooperation model in which the RoK provides capital, technology and management expertise, while Việt Nam leverages its advantages in production locations, human resources and market access. This would help develop supply chains with Vietnamese businesses taking an increasingly active and deeper role.

The NA President said that developing technology and supply chains and expanding markets, together with leveraging the role of the Vietnamese community in the RoK, should become key priorities of parliamentary diplomacy.

NA President Trần Thanh Mẫn meets with representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Korea. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

Speaking about Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, the NA President said the economy grew by approximately 8.18 per cent in the first half of the year, while total import-export turnover reached around US$770 billion in the first eight months.

The size of the economy continued to expand, while a range of social welfare policies were implemented in a coordinated manner to better support the poor, policy beneficiaries and people facing difficult circumstances.

National defence and security continued to be maintained, while external relations and international integration were strengthened. Việt Nam’s position and reputation in the international arena continued to rise.

The top legislator attributed these achievements partly to important contributions from more than six million Vietnamese people living abroad. The Vietnamese community in the RoK, in particular, has undertaken many practical activities, contributing to the country’s development and helping promote friendship and cooperation between Việt Nam and the RoK.

Việt Nam aims to become a developing country with upper-middle income status by 2030 and a developed, high-income country by 2045. To realise these goals, in addition to domestic resources, the companionship and contributions of the Vietnamese community overseas are of great importance.

NA President Mẫn noted that the RoK is currently the largest foreign direct investor in Việt Nam, the second-largest partner in development cooperation and tourism, and the third-largest in trade. There remains considerable potential for bilateral cooperation, particularly in sectors with high technological content and added value.

Many Korean businesses and corporations are interested in and seeking investment opportunities in Việt Nam in areas such as nuclear power, energy, high-speed railways and large-scale infrastructure projects.

The Vietnamese community in the RoK currently numbers around 400,000 people and is becoming increasingly diverse, including spouses in multi-cultural marriages, workers, trainees and students, as well as a large number of scientists, professors, technology experts and entrepreneurs.

At the meeting, representatives of the Vietnamese community in the RoK affirmed their solidarity, commitment to complying with local laws and efforts to uphold the image of Vietnamese people, while serving as a strong bridge to further deepen the Việt Nam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Đào Tuấn Hùng, chairman of the Association of Vietnamese People in the RoK, called on the National Assembly to continue reviewing and improving regulations on nationality, facilitate procedures and remove administrative obstacles for the Vietnamese community.

He also proposed the introduction of specific policies and mechanisms and the simplification of administrative procedures to attract and encourage overseas Vietnamese experts, high-tech scientists and entrepreneurs in the RoK to participate in technology transfer, research cooperation and investment in key sectors of the country.

Meanwhile, Ngô Thi, Secretary General of the Association of Vietnamese Businesses in the RoK, proposed developing trade and technology-transfer programmes connecting domestic businesses with overseas Vietnamese, with a focus on digital transformation, high technology and start-ups.

She also suggested establishing regular dialogue channels between ministries, agencies and the Vietnamese Embassy and the business community, as well as creating a focal point to provide information and help resolve practical difficulties in trade and business cooperation.

NA President Mẫn said the opinions and recommendations raised by the Vietnamese community in the RoK would provide important input for relevant agencies to further study and improve policies and specific regulations concerning Vietnamese people living abroad. — VNS