VietNamNet Bridge – Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung left Ha Noi on July 21 for a three-day official visit to South Korea at the invitation of its National Assembly Speaker Kang Chang-hee.

NA Chairman Hung (right) is warmly received at the airport.

South Korea is one of Viet Nam's most important economic partners, ranking fourth (after Japan, Taiwan and Singapore) out of 96 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.

Investors from the country are carrying out more than 3,200 projects in Viet Nam, with total registered capital of about US$25 billion.

South Korea is also Viet Nam's fourth largest trading partner, while Viet Nam is its ninth largest export market. Two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached $21.12 billion in 2012, surpassing trade targets.

Hung will also pay an official visit to Myanmar at the invitation of Speaker of the Myanmar Parliament cum Speaker of its Upper House Khin Aung Myint from July 24-26.

During recent years, Viet Nam and Myanmar have consolidated and enhanced their traditional friendship and multi-faceted co-operation, especially in politics.

Two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached $227 million in 2012 and $85 million in the first four months of this year.

The two sides have also taken measures to promote co-operation on agro-forestry, aquaculture, transport, energy, information, health care, culture, education, sports, tourism and science and technology, as well as co-ordinated at international and regional forums such as ASEAN, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and the Cambodia-Laos-Myamnar-Viet Nam (CLMV) co-operation mechanism.

NA Chairman seeks more RoK investment

Vietnam supports and creates favourable conditions for Republic of Korean businesses to operate efficiently in the country.

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, who is currently on a visit to Seoul, made the statement while receiving representatives of the Korea Telecom and Samsung Electronics in Seoul on July 22.

He acknowledged the RoK companies’ effective operations in Vietnam, which he said not only contribute to economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK, but also lay a firm foundation for their strategic cooperation partnership to grow and flourish in the future.

Samsung Electronics President Kim Jae-kwon and Korea Telecom Managing Director Lee Suk-chae thanked the government, ministries and localities of Vietnam for supporting them in expanding operations in the country.

Samsung has built a US$670 million mobile phone manufacturing plant in Bac Ninh province, employing 18,000 local workers.  Recently it broke ground for the second hi-tech complex in Thai Nguyen province at a total cost of up to US$3.2 billion.

Korea Telecom is putting the finishing touches on hotel and resort projects in Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh provinces.

President Kim said Samsung will increase investment in Vietnam, turning it into the world’s biggest manufacturer of mobile phones and cameras.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnam National Assembly will back the company’s R&D centre expansion plan to train qualified human resources for the company and Vietnam.

NA Chairman Hung assured his guests that the government, National Assembly and ministries of Vietnam welcome RoK businesses and will ease difficulties for them to develop sustainably in the country.

The National Assembly and government of Vietnam will work closely with their RoK counterparts to create a favourable investment climate for RoK businesses, including Samsung Electronics and Korea Telecom, to increase economic, trade and investment cooperation, said Hung.

Later, Hung met with leaders of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association.

He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and National Assembly speaker Kang Chang-hee on July 22.

NA Chairman meets OVs in RoK

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung met staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and overseas Vietnamese (OV) community in the Republic of Korea (RoK) right after he arrived in the country on July 21.

Chairman Hung is on a four-day visit to the RoK at the invitation of his RoK counterpart Kang Chang-hee.

At the meeting, the Chairman affirmed that the Party and State always care about the overseas Vietnamese community, including those in the RoK.

He expressed his hope that the OVs in the RoK will continue to act as a bridge for strengthening the friendship, strategic cooperation and partnership between the two countries while making active contributions to the national construction and development.

The NA Chairman asked the Vietnamese community in the RoK to continue giving comments on the revised 1992 Constitution and the country’s other important issues.

As scheduled, NA Chairman Hung will hold talks with RoK NA Speaker Kang Chang-hee and meet with Prime Minister Chung Hong-won on July 22.

Source: VNS