During his meeting with Busan City Mayor Hur Nam-sik on November 10, Mr Sang said he was delighted at the development of Busan-Ho Chi Minh City relations and asked Busan authorities to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese residents to integrate into the communal life.

He also briefed Mr Hur on the results of his talks with RoK President President Lee Myung-bak.

Mr Hur thanked President Sang for his warm sentiments towards Busan City and affirmed that he always welcomes Vietnamese friends.

The opening of a Busan-Ho Chi Minh City direct air route will help strengthen cooperation between the two cities, he said.

Busan is the RoK’s largest container port city. With its advantageous geopolitical location, it connects Asia to Siberia and Europe and serves as a main gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

Since Busan and Ho Chi Minh City became twin cities in 1995, they have cooperated effectively in economic, trade, cultural, and tourism areas.