SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed to establish a comprehensive, strategic partnership between the two countries during a summit in Seoul on Monday.
Phuc arrived in the country the previous day on a three-day state visit marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.
“Over the last 30 years, the two countries have built an exemplary relationship of coexistence and cooperation. We have achieved remarkable progress in trade and investment cooperation, and our two peoples have become close neighbors,” Yoon said during a joint press briefing following summit talks at the presidential office.
“Based on such achievements, we plan to open a new era in the South Korea-Vietnam relationship by establishing a comprehensive and strategic partnership between the two countries,” he said.
Phuc is the first foreign leader to make a state visit to South Korea under the Yoon administration.
He is the second-highest ranking official in Vietnam.
To realize a comprehensive and strategic partnership, Yoon said the two sides will first strengthen strategic communication, and work together for regional peace and stability.
In particular, he said South Korea will actively support efforts to strengthen Vietnam’s capability to enforce maritime laws and expand cooperation in the arms industry.
Yoon also said the two countries will further increase economic cooperation, including in high-tech, rare earth elements, finance, information and communications, and infrastructure.
South Korea and Vietnam will “strengthen coordination to lead a united response from the international community” to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, he said, while hailing Vietnam as a key partner in implementing South Korea’s new Indo-Pacific strategy and its adjoining Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative.
Phuc thanked South Korea for providing grants and concessional loans toward Vietnam’s development.
“I am confident the comprehensive, strategic partnership opened a new chapter in the development of bilateral relations, pushed a higher level of cooperation, and actively contributed to the interests of the two countries’ people, world peace, stability and development,” he said.
Phuc invited Yoon to visit Vietnam at an early date.
Source: Yonhap News Agency