Vietnam, RoK hold high-level talks

(VOV) -The two State leaders have emphasized the need for Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) to further strengthen political cooperation in all fields.

Following a welcome ceremony for the Korean President Park Geun-hye on September 9, President Sang spoke highly about her choice of Vietnam for the first leg of her trip to ASEAN countries and expressed confidence that her visit will significantly contribute to boosting a Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership.

President Park was pleased to visit for the first time in her capacity as President while affirming her country’s desire for a closer strategic partnership with Vietnam, deepening mutual understanding and consolidating trust between senior leaders.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the constant development of friendship and collaboration across many areas, since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992 and strategic partnership in 2009.

Regular high-level exchange visits have been maintained while political trust has also been continually consolidated.

Effective links in economics, trade, ODA, tourism and labour have helped both nations become economic and trade partners.

They agreed to promote mutual trust and understanding, maintain the exchange of high-level visits between ministries, sectors and localities and improve communication channels to further strengthen relations.

Both nations should increase cooperation in economics, trade, investment, science-technology, labour, the environment, culture and education with a view to raising bilateral trade to US$70 billion by 2020 and improving bilateral trade balance, the two leaders said.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the Vietnam-RoK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and the signing of a labour cooperation agreement to replace the old one which expired in 2012, and successfully implement  the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (V-KIST) project.

They agreed to continue deepening mutual understanding through cultural and youth exchanges, pay more attention to protecting fundamental rights and interests of residents in each country and support Vietnamese-Korea families.

Two two sides applauded close coordination and cooperation between the two countries at multilateral forums and international organisations such as the UN, WTO, APEC, ASEM and at regional forums like ASEAN-RoK, ASEAN+3, ARF and EAS.

They also compared notes on the situation in the Korean peninsula and the maintenance of peace and maritime freedom.

At a meeting with the media after the talks, President Sang affirmed Vietnam’s wish to further strengthen strategic partnership with the RoK and believed that the Korea President’ trip will add fresh impetus to Vietnam-RoK relations, meeting the two peoples’ interests for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The RoK President said she is impressed by Vietnam’s rapid development over the past 20 years and agreed to spare no efforts to help both nations reach a FTA by 2014.

The two Presidents witnessed the signing of  seven cooperation agreements between ministries and institutions.

At a meeting with the Korean President on the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his belief that her visit will serve as a springboard for both nations to develop a stronger strategic partnership in the future.

The two countries can support each other in exploiting potential mutual interests, spanning from economics, trade to investment and labour.

The Vietnamese Government will do all it can to foster a Vietnam-RoK relationship and create the best possible conditions for both nations to effectively implement the agreements reached by senior leaders, Dung said.

PM Dung asked the Korean President to continue her keen interest in forging bilateral cooperation in security, national defense, trade, investment and tourism, finalising the FTA negotiations, facilitating Vietnamese goods’ greater penetration to the Korean market, increasing ODA provision for Vietnam and encouraging Korean businesses to run investment in Vietnam.

Dung proposed stepping up cooperation in culture, science-technology, education-training and people-to-people exchange and making an early decision to receive Vietnamese guest workers again.

President Park praised the Vietnamese government’s efforts to manage socio-economic situation and reduce poverty.

She said she hopes that the joint statement signed during her visit will mark a milestone in the two countries’ prosperous development in the years to come

The Korean leader stated that her country will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to penetrate the Korean market, speed up the recruitment of Vietnamese workers and bolster cooperation with Vietnam in science-technology and national security and defence.

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