RoK considered Vietnam’s important, long-term strategic partner

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement while talking over the phone with his counterpart from the RoK Han Duck-soo on July 5, during which both cabinet leader discussed a score of measures to foster bilateral ties.

This was the first phone conversation by the Korean PM with a foreign leader since he took office.

Congratulating Han on his appointment as the RoK's PM, Chinh said despite global and regional uncertainties, including COVID-19 impacts, the relationship between Vietnam and the RoK has maintained its stable development pace, and the two nations have become leading important partners of each other, especially in economy, trade and investment.

He affirmed Vietnam’s unwavering foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of relations, and being a friend, a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community.

In response, the Korean leader congratulated Vietnam on achievements it has recorded during the past years, particularly in pandemic containment and economic growth, noting that the RoK considers Vietnam a leading important partner and wishes to work with the Southeast Asian country to enhance the bilateral relations sustainably in the time to come.

He thanked the Vietnamese government for its support to Korean firms, helping them maintain production in the country, especially amid the COVID-19 spread over the past time.

Regarding specific measures to boost the bilateral ties, the two PMs consented to carry out the outcomes of the online talks between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on June 8, continue close coordination between the two sides in launching a broad array of activities marking the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

They also agreed to effectively implement bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in order to soon elevate two-way trade value to US$100 billion in 2023 and US$150 billion by 2030.

Both sides will handle trade imbalances and facilitate the penetration of Vietnamese goods like agricultural and aquatic products into the Korean market, and encourage Korean businesses to expand investment in Vietnam, prioritizing digital technology, electronics, renewable energy and infrastructure development.

Vietnam pledged to offer the best possible conditions for Korean enterprises as well as foreign investors to run long-term business in the country.

The pair also concurred to maintain and promote effective official development assistance (ODA) cooperation mechanisms, and expand the scale of ODA supply for Vietnam.

Both nations will boost collaboration in labour, tourism, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and entertainment industry, and support their overseas citizens, especially Vietnamese brides in the RoK.

The PMs also concurred to foster cooperation in international issues and at different forums.

Concerning the East Sea issue, they shared the common vision on maintaining peace and stability, ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, settling disputes at sea by peaceful measures, and ensuring rights and legitimate interests of countries in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).