Minh Chinh, who traveled with nine ministers, responded to the invitation extended to him by his South Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo, with whom he will hold official talks aimed at intensifying bilateral cooperation in traditional and emerging areas of interest to South Korea with its strengths and Vietnam has demand.
In recent press statements, the South Korean Prime Minister himself considered that Minh Chinh’s stay in his country would constitute an opportunity to strengthen political confidence and deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries.
After praising the very positive development that bilateral relations are currently showing, So stressed that Vietnam is a key partner, both in the Indo-Pacific Strategy and in the ASEAN-South Korea Solidarity Initiative (KASI) launched by Seoul in 2022 itself.
In the context of rapid changes in the Indo-Pacific region, South Korea is willing to strengthen strategic cooperation with Vietnam, the South Korean prime minister said, adding that it is important to increase strategic exchanges and communication between senior leaders of both countries.
He stressed that South Korea and Vietnam are inseparable partners in promoting sustainable economic development, and he expected their cooperation to expand to include other areas such as economic security, science and technology, digital transformation and climate change.
For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Seoul Vo Ho considered that Minh Chinh’s visit should open a new page in bilateral relations and will provide an opportunity for the two sides to review and make recommendations to enhance bilateral relations.
Referring to the priorities of the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s stay in South Korea, he noted that it would be to enhance trust between the two countries, thus opening up new opportunities for businesses on both sides, and deepening the relationship between the two peoples.
The success of this visit will allow conveying a message to the regional and international community about the two countries’ determination to strengthen exchanges, enhance cooperation and improve the relationship between Northwest and Southeast Asia for the sake of peace, prosperity and sustainable development of Asia and the Pacific.
The diplomat said that strong economic relations are today the main pillar of bilateral relations, noting that trade exchange has risen from $500 million in 1992 to $87 billion in 2022, and is on its way to reaching $100 billion.
South Korea, with a value of $87 billion, is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with four million tourists from that country arriving there last year.
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