Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ. — VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — The official visits to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Mongolia by National Assembly (NA) President Trần Thanh Mẫn, his spouse Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nga and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation from September 6-11 have been a success, delivering substantive results and translating the growing political ties into concrete cooperation.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ told the press that the trips deepened political ties and effectively leveraged parliamentary diplomacy with both the RoK and Mongolia. Nearly 30 high-level and sectoral activities reviewed agreement progress, cleared bottlenecks and set clear next steps.

The discussions showed that both countries attach importance to Vietnam’s role, position, potential and growth prospects, and highly value the Vietnamese Party and State’s vision and recent reforms. Parliaments and political parties of both countries expressed their desire to accompany Vietnam’s development, further tightening the Vietnam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Vietnam-Mongolia Comprehensive Partnership. The cooperation agreements between the Vietnamese NA and the Mongolian counterpart, and between their offices signed during the visit, plus the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese and Korean legislatures, will remain key catalysts.

The visits affirmed the role of legislative bodies and parliamentary diplomacy in creating new momentum for bilateral cooperation, particularly in economy, trade, investment, science and technology. The parliaments of Việt Nam, and the RoK and Mongolia pledged close coordination, not only through their legislative roles and a favourable legal environment for business and investment, but also by closely monitoring the implementation of the signed agreements.

At the official welcome ceremony for National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn in Seoul.

With the RoK, the two sides focus on clearing obstacles, attracting quality Korean investment in priority areas and working towards US$150 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. Korean leaders vowed maximum support for Vietnamese firms in three mega-projects spanning semiconductors, artificial intelligence and data centres.

With Mongolia, the two sides are determined to raise two-way trade to $200 million. Mongolia affirmed that it would facilitate Vietnamese companies’ involvement in major projects, particularly strategic minerals and renewable energy, and in sectors where Mongolia has advantages such as agriculture, wool and leather, with a view to joint production and third-country market access. They also agreed to soon sign a new investment promotion and protection agreement.

The visits also firmly consolidated the social foundations of bilateral ties. Korean leaders consistently expressed special affection for Việt Nam, casting Việt Nam-Korea multicultural families as a key friendship bridge, and pledged to protect the Vietnamese community’s legitimate rights and interests and expand sectors for receiving Vietnamese workers. Mongolia wants continued cooperation in education, tourism, sports and people-to-people exchanges, and promised to further facilitate the Vietnamese community’s work, life and study there, he said.

Việt Nam and both countries agreed to continue close coordination at global and regional forums and support each other at multilateral parliamentary forums. The RoK will share experience in hosting APEC 2025 and assist Việt Nam in preparing for APEC 2027. Mongolia expressed confidence that Việt Nam will successfully host APEC 2027 and called on Việt Nam to support Mongolia’s early APEC accession.

To realse the visits’ outcomes, Vũ suggested maintaining high-level exchanges and further upholding each legislature’s role in completing legal frameworks, overseeing the progress of agreements and clearing difficulties for citizens and businesses. Immediate priorities include entry to the RoK for Vietnamese citizens, especially Việt Nam-Korea multicultural family members, startups and technology and innovation companies, and transport and trade connectivity with Mongolia by rail and air.

He called on each agreement to clearly identify tasks, lead agencies and timelines. Ministries, agencies and localities should proactively translate agreements into specific plans and projects with clear goals, roadmaps and responsibilities, while promptly clearing emerging obstacles. Vietnamese representative missions in Mongolia and the RoK should continue serving as bridges to turn strong cooperation into tangible results.

At the MoU signing ceremony between Vietnamese and Mongolian legislatures' offices.

According to the diplomat, economic linkages should be driven in a balanced, sustainable and mutually beneficial manner, helping two-way trade targets be achieved early. The focus should be on establishing and cementing Vietnamese firms’ position in Korean supply chains while attracting high-tech Korean investment into Việt Nam. With Mongolia, the two sides should soon complete investment protection frameworks, facilitate mutual market access and tap sectors with ample untapped potential.  

People-to-people exchanges should also be stepped up, with expanded cooperation in workforce, culture, education, sports, tourism and local-level connectivity. Particular attention should go to further upholding the bridging role of Vietnamese communities in both countries, in line with Politburo Resolution 23-NQ/TW dated August 2, 2026, on overseas Vietnamese affairs.

In the foreseeable future, efforts should continue to encourage the Korean NA to facilitate the Vietnamese community’s residence, study and employment, simplify visa procedures for relatives of Việt Nam-Korea multicultural families, and encourage Vietnamese citizens to travel, do business and invest in Mongolia, deepening mutual understanding, he added. — VNA/VNS