The host leader affirmed the Vietnamese Government and people’s resolve to continue promoting the two countries’ cooperation in a strong, substantive, effective, and extensive manner.
He expressed his delight at the vigorous growth of bilateral ties over the last 30 years, stressing that the two sides should maintain high-level exchanges and meetings in flexible forms, step up effective and extensive cooperation in all fields, and develop their ties to a new level.
PM Pham Minh Chinh described economic partnership as an important pillar of bilateral relations and asked the countries to cooperate closely to soon raise their trade to 100 billion USD by 2023 and 150 billion USD by 2030 in a balanced manner. He also called for the facilitation of Korean investment in Vietnam, with priority given to digital technology, electronics, renewable energy, infrastructure development, and construction of high technology complexes, industrial parks, and high-quality agricultural zones.
He underlined that the Vietnamese Government and himself always attaches importance to and create the best possible conditions for businesses from the RoK and other countries.
The PM called on the Korean Government to continue viewing Vietnam as a focal partner of its development cooperation policy, assist the Southeast Asian nation to enhance workers’ skills, improve working and living conditions for Vietnamese workers, and strongly enhance collaboration in digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, health care, culture, education, and people-to-people exchange.
Minister Park noted the RoK considers Vietnam as a focal partner in not only its policy for ASEAN but also its Indo-Pacific strategy, adding that his country always wishes to further intensify all-round cooperation with Vietnam.
He also thanked the PM and Government of Vietnam for supporting the Korean community in the country, listening to Korean firms’ opinions, and resolving difficulties, which is a demonstration of the Vietnamese PM and Government’s attention to Korean investors.
At the meeting, both host and guest also touched upon international and regional issues of common concern.
PM Pham Minh Chinh stated Vietnam is ready to help the RoK strengthen ties with ASEAN.
Meanwhile, Park suggested the two countries work closely in climate change response. He also affirmed that the RoK supports and shares the common vision on ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; maintaining peace, stability and legal order; and settling disputes by peaceful means.
Also on August 18, the visiting official talked about the RoK’s foreign policy and the two countries’ relations while meeting students of the Hanoi-based Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.
He said both ASEAN and Vietnam are partners of leading importance of his country, noting Vietnam is an important partner that the RoK always prioritises in its ASEAN policy, and that Vietnam is acting as the coordinator of the ASEAN - RoK relations from 2021 to 2024.
Since diplomatic ties were set up in 1992, their relations have been flourishing surprisingly in multiple areas, from diplomacy, security, trade, investment, culture, society, and people-to-people exchange. Notably, bilateral trade stood at about 80 billion USD in 2021, surging 160 times from 30 years ago, according to Park.
