NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan receives Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Hyuk.

Meeting the RoK diplomat, the NA leader said she is delighted to see the two countries’ strategic cooperative partnership growing, mentioning the RoK as the leading economic partner, the biggest foreign investor, the second largest ODA provider, and the third trader of Vietnam.

She expected that the enforcement of the Vietnam-RoK free trade agreement and the re-signing of the memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation will step up the countries’ cooperation.

Ngan noted recent increases in exchanges between the law-making bodies, ministries and sectors and appreciated the friendship parliamentarians’ groups for helping to promot the friendship between the two countries and the two legislatures.

For his part, Ambassador Lee Hyuk said he believes the similarities, the growing political, economic, trade and investment, and the close bond between the two people will help accelerate bilateral cooperation in the coming time.

He told his host that the RoK Government and the Embassy in Vietnam are working to boost import of Vietnamese commodities in a bid to achieve a trade balance.

In the past 11 months, the two countries’ two-way trade exceeded 14 billion USD, which, the Ambassador believed, is likely to reach the set target of 70 billion USD by 2020.

He agreed that the countries should enhance cultural exchange, tourism and investments and coordinate closely in activities to mark the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2017.

At a reception for Iranian Ambassador Saleh Adibi, Chairwoman Ngan affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and wants to further the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Iran, stressing the need to increase visits at all levels.

She asked Iran to support Vietnam’s bid to secure a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2020 – 2021 term and prioritize trade to realize a turnover of 2 billion USD in the coming time.

The leader also asked Iran to facilitate the participation of the military-run telecom group Viettel and the Vietnam Oil and Gas group in projects in the country as well as the implementation of a project to pilot the growing of Iran’s basmati rice variety in Vietnam for export to Iran.

Ambassador Saleh Adibi spoke highly of the Vietnamese National Assembly in deciding the country’s important issues and expressed his hope that bilateral parliamentary cooperation will be sped up.

He emphasised that Iran’s foreign policy is to attach importance to the cooperation with Vietnam.

He hoped the countries will set up partnerships in biotechnology and nanotechnology, which are Iran’s strong domains and will reap new developments in their relations.

VNA