The Republic of Korea (RoK) is one of the most important economic-trade-investment partners of Vietnam.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) hosts Park Won-soon, Special Envoy of the RoK’s President Moon Jae-in

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made the remark while hosting Park Won-soon, Special Envoy of the RoK’s President Moon Jae-in, in Hanoi on May 25.

He urged Vietnam and the RoK to boost cooperation via Party, government, legislature, and locality channels to increase mutual political trust and economic ties, and deepen the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership.

The Party leader suggested strengthening coordination at international multilateral forums for the sake of the two peoples as well as peace, stability and development in the region and around the globe.

Park Won-soon described the political trust between Vietnam and the RoK as a firm foundation for the two nations to forge ahead with effective cooperation to bring practical benefits for their people.

He recognized the recent strong development of the bilateral relations in various fields, especially in economics, trade, investment, culture and tourism.

The Special Envoy affirmed that the RoK gives priority to cooperative ties with Vietnam and hopes to increase high-level delegation and people-to-people exchanges and expand collaboration between the two governments, legislatures, parties, and people organizations.

The RoK will continue sharing Vietnam’s viewpoints on regional and international matters of mutual concerns, he added.

Prime Minister calls for RoK’s investment in Vietnam

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on the Republic of Korea (RoK) to invest more renewable energy, infrastructure, high technology, and processing industry in Vietnam, during his reception for Park Won-soon, Special Envoy of the RoK’s President Moon Jae-in, in Hanoi on May 25.

The PM reiterated Vietnam’s strong determination to implement effectively the free trade agreement (FTA) with the RoK to achieve the bilateral trade target of 100 billion USD by 2020.

He proposed the RoK support Vietnam to develop the support industry, sign a credit framework agreement for the 2016-2020 period, and help Vietnam access credits from the International Development Association (IDA) after 2017.

Vietnam hopes to expand the economic-trade relations with the RoK, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Government will create all possible conditions for Korean enterprises to do business.

The PM also urged both sides to boost cooperation in other fields such as legislative activities, culture, education, and tourism.

Park Won-soon said this is the first time the RoK President has sent a Special Envoy to ASEAN, which demonstrates the country’s desire to step up collaboration with the bloc in general and Vietnam in particular.

The RoK is keen to develop cooperation with Vietnam in economics, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

He noted that the RoK President attaches great importance to relations with Vietnam and highly values the Southeast Asian nation’s accomplishments and hopes to elevate the bilateral rapports to a new height.

The President is due to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting 2017 in Vietnam, he said.

The Special Envoy also confirmed that the RoK will spare no effort to increase the bilateral trade up to 100 billion USD by 2020, and expressed his belief that more Korean businesses will come to Vietnam to develop the support industry.

Vietnam and the RoK established strategic partnership in 2009. The RoK is currently the biggest foreign direct investor in Vietnam and the second largest trade partner.

President receives Special Envoy of RoK President

Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to bolster the strategic cooperative partnership with the Republic of Korea, for the sake of the two people, and peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world, President Tran Dai Quang said.

He made the remarks at his reception for Park Won-soon, Special Envoy of the RoK’s President Moon Jae-in in Hanoi on May 25.

President Quang hailed the Special Envoy’s visit, which is made right after President Moon Jae-in took office, as showing the President’s respect for the two countries’ strategic cooperative partnership.  

He said he is delighted to see the two countries’ robust cooperation across sectors over the past 25 years, especially after the relations were upgraded to strategic cooperative partnership in 2009.

High-level meetings between ministries and localities have been maintained, while economic cooperation and trade have been growing fast, stably and productively, the President noted.

The RoK has become one of Vietnam’s top partners, as evidenced by its first position in terms of foreign direct investment, second in ODA and tourism, and third in trade. Over 140,000 Vietnamese living in the RoK and vice versa are helping promote bilateral friendship.

The President suggested that the two countries increase and diversify high-level meetings, broaden cooperative fields, optimize exchange and cooperative mechanisms, boost collaboration in diplomacy, security and defence, and develop trade in a balanced and stable manner for a 70 billion USD target by 2020.

He expected that the RoK will continue prioritizing Vietnam in development cooperation, ODA and soft loan provision, technology transfer, and assistance for the auxiliary industry development.

He took the occasion to invite President Moon Jae-in to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting 2017 in Da Nang in November and to make an official visit to Vietnam in a convenient time. 

For his part, Special Envoy Park Won-soon confirmed that the RoK wants the strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam to advance with new and outstanding progress in the context of the two countries celebrating the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

Park noted that this is the first time the RoK President has sent a Special Envoy to ASEAN, the move that manifested the RoK Government’s policy of treasuring ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular.

The RoK stands ready to work with Vietnam to achieve highly productive diplomatic, economic, commercial, investment ties and people-to-people exchange, he said, adding that he will make proposals on policies for the Vietnamese community in the RoK to the President.  

The Special Envoy informed the host that President Moon Jae-in will attend the APEC High-level Week 2017 in Da Nang in November and wishes to pay an official visit to Vietnam.

VNA