NA leader’s visits to RoK, India help create new momentum for national development

The visit has also  created a new stature for Vietnam to boost post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development, stated Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency on the outcomes of the visits, Ha emphasized that the RoK and India are important strategic partners of Vietnam. Both those countries boast strengths that Vietnam needs for cooperation in the time to come to speed up economic recovery, digital transformation, and green and circular economic development, he said.

Ha said that during the visits, the NA leader held talks and meetings with top leaders of the two countries to discuss measures to promote collaboration in all fields. During the Vietnam-RoK and Vietnam-India business forums, a number of cooperation agreements were signed among businesses and localities of Vietnam and their Korean and Indian peers, he noted.
 
During their talks, NA Chairman Hue and Speaker of the Korean National Assembly Park Byeong-seug agreed to the target of raising two-way trade to US$100 billion in 2023 and US$150 billion in 2030 towards trade balance, and facilitate Vietnamese agro-fishery export to the RoK.

They concurred to continue to exchange experience in the COVID-19 fight, and enhance cooperation in the research and transfer of vaccine and drug production technologies, and other medial supplies. The RoK will help Vietnam build a national centre for disease control, with capital from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF). The leaders also agreed to increase activities promoting Vietnamese and Korean culture and arts in the respective countries.

The RoK parliamentary leader pledged to assist Vietnam in implementing the national digital transformation programme until 2025 as well as major transport infrastructure projects, and collaborate to early resume direct air services between the two countries after COVID-19 is put under control.
 
Many cooperation agreements were signed during the visit, including a deal between the two governments in social insurance, creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Korean labourers working in each other’s country to enjoy highest benefits from the insurance.

Alongside, 27 agreements and memoranda of understanding were also signed between enterprises of both sides and leading businesses of the RoK and Vietnamese localities with total value of nearly 10 billion USD, Ha noted, adding that RoK firms also committed to support Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control and overcoming consequences of natural disasters.

The NA official also highlighted the success of the India visit, saying that it marked an important milestone in the bilateral relations and gave a chance for both sides to seek ways to lift their parliamentary ties to a new height.

During the visit, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation to areas of energy, science-technology, sustainable development, green economy, and climate change response. They will soon reopen direct air routes between the two countries and recognise each other’s “vaccine passport,” while continuing to foster partnership in culture, tourism, people-to-people exchange, natural resources management, justice and finance, Ha said.

At his meeting with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, NA Chairman Hue affirmed the importance that Vietnam attaches to developing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with India. The two leaders shared satisfaction at the growing bilateral ties across all fields of politics, diplomacy, economy, culture, people-to-people exchange, and COVID-19 prevention and control.

Vietnam and India agreed to maintain high-level meetings among State, Government, and NA agencies through all channels, and coordinate closely together in organising activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2022.

India gives Vietnam a high position in its Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Strategy, and considers Vietnam a key partner in its strategy to enter Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam and India also concurred to raise their two-way trade to US$15 billion in the time to come, Ha said.

He noted that during the Vietnam-India business forum, which is the largest of its kind ever, 12 contracts and memoranda of understanding valued at billions of US$ were signed between enterprises of both sides.

India’s pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech presented 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnamese children, while Optimus Pharma also transferred all production technology and 1 tonne of active ingredients to Vietnam's Mekongphar to produce Movinavir COVID-19 treatment drug, he said.

Mentioning the outcomes of parliamentarian cooperation between the NA and the parliaments of the RoK and India, Ha said that both countries wanted to make parliamentarian partnership a model relationship contributing to the growth of the Vietnam-India comprehensive strategic partnership and the Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership.

The RoK side asked Vietnam to continue promoting exchanges not only among senior leaders but also among NA committees and friendship parliamentarians’ groups to implement the cooperation agreements between the two parliaments in 2013.

Meanwhile, India suggested that Vietnam continue to strengthen cooperation in line with the spirit of the bilateral deal signed in 2016. During the visit, the two parliaments signed an agreement on cooperation in developing a digital library and the parliament's TV Channel.