The official Vietnam visit by Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un will represent a historic landmark in relations between the two nations.

The DPRK leader is set to make his way to the capital city of Hanoi

The DPRK leader will start his friendship visit to Vietnam on March 1 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong,

The trip comes 60 years following the first visit to Vietnam by then leader of the DPRK Kim Il-sung in 1958 and is ahead of the 70th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (January 31) in 2020.

Since the late 2000s, Vietnam-DPRK diplomatic ties between have grown steadily with visits to the DPRK by CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in 2007 and by Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh in 2008, along with trips to Vietnam by Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK Kim Yong-nam in 2001 and Premier Kim Yong-il in 2007.

Immediately after his arrival in Hanoi for the second DPRK-USA Summit on February 26, Chairman Kim Jong-un visited the DPRK Embassy and called on embassy staff to work harder to propel cooperation and friendship between the two countries forward.

Over the past few years, both sides have held rotational policy discussions at the deputy foreign ministerial level and meetings of the Inter-Governmental Committee for economic, scientific, and technical cooperation.

Numerous important agreements have been signed, including agreements on cultural cooperation, scientific-technical cooperation, trade and navigation, healthcare and civil air transport cooperation.

In 2002, they inked agreements on sea transport, trade, mutual legal assistance, investment promotion and protection, and double-taxation avoidance.

During a visit to Vietnam in November 2018, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho underscored the DPRK Party and Government’s unwavering stance on treasuring and consolidating the time-tested friendship with Vietnam.

During the visit, the two sides also consented to maintain their closer coordination at international and regional forums like the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, as well as intensify the exchange of views on issues of shared concern.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh paid an official visit to the DPRK from February 12-14, during which he emphasized Vietnam attributes high importance to developing the traditional friendship with the party, government, and people of the DPRK.

Notably, economic links between the countries have also seen constant development despite remaining modest.

Bilateral trade hit US$8 million in 2014 and US$11.6 million in 2015. Vietnam’s exports to the DPRK reached roughly US$ 7.32 million in 2017, and US$497,000 in the first nine months last year.

The official visit to Vietnam by the DPRK leader is designed to augment cooperation between the two parties and countries in line with each country’s interests, laws, and international commitments and thus contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region.

VOV