President hosts RoK Foreign Minister

President Tran Dai Quang hosted Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Kang Kyung-wha in Hanoi on March 9, expressing his delight at the robust development of the bilateral cooperation in various areas over the past 25 years, particularly after the two countries raised ties to strategic partnership in 2009.

The RoK has become Vietnam’s most important partner, ranking first in foreign direct investment and second in trade, ODA and tourism while Vietnam is the RoK’s fourth largest trade partner and more and more Vietnamese are working and living in the East Asian nation, the President told FM Kang, who is on an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

President Quang praised the “Miracle on the Han River” and congratulated the RoK on its recent socio-economic development and the success of the Pyeongchange Winter Olympics 2018 hosted by the country.

He suggested the two countries further increase bilateral cooperation, adding that Vietnam looks forward to the RoK’s enhanced support in technology, and sustainable development.

He hoped the RoK facilitates Vietnamese agro-forestry and seafood products to enter the Korean market, fosters two-way trade and continues providing Vietnam with ODA.

The President stressed Vietnam welcomes the RoK’s new Look South policy for peace, cooperation and development, and wanted the two countries to step up coordination in regional and international issues of mutual interest as well as support at regional and international forums.

Vietnam welcomes and is ready to greet RoK President Moon Jae-in’s State visit to Vietnam, he said.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, for her part, thanked President Quang for his hospitality. She informed the President on outcomes of her talks with Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh during which the two sides reviewed progress of the two nations’ bilateral ties and discussed schedules on President Moon’s upcoming visit to Vietnam.

The RoK expects President Moon’s visit will create impetus for the two countries’ ties to harvest more practical results in cooperation fields, she noted.