HCMC – Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on Tuesday pledged to bring their bilateral relationship to a higher plane, with the two heads of state stressing closer ties in economic, investment, trade, tourism, and science and technology among others.
Vietnam, S. Korea pledge stronger strategic partnership
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| South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak (R) shows the way to Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang (L) during the welcome ceremony at the Blue House in Seoul on Tuesday. Sang arrived in Seoul yesterday for a three-day state visit - Photo: Reuters |
HCMC – Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on Tuesday pledged to bring their bilateral relationship to a higher plane, with the two heads of state stressing closer ties in economic, investment, trade, tourism, and science and technology among others.
Korean President Lee Myung Bak told visiting Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang on Tuesday that South Korea considered Vietnam an important partner in the region, and promised to boost official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam.
Sang began a three-day State-level visit to the Republic of Korea on Tuesday, with an aim to further strengthen the friendship and strategic partnership between the two nations.
Lee said South Korea would increase ODA to Vietnam in the future, especially in the fields of infrastructure and human resource training.
The two leaders agreed to choose 2012 as the “Vietnam–RoK Friendship Year” with a series of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties, according to the government website chinhphu.vn.
Sang at the meeting highly valued South Korea’s ODA to Vietnam and said that Vietnam has been using this assistance effectively.
The two leaders agreed to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion by 2015 and move toward the target of US$30 billion and work closely to stabilize the trade balance between the two countries. The Korean side pledged to create favorable conditions for Vietnam’s export goods and help boost comprehensive industrial cooperation such as industrial technology and supporting industries.
The two sides shared similar views on specific measures to deepen the two countries’ strategic partnership to a new height for the benefits of the two peoples and to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
They also discussed coordination at regional and international forums and global issues for sustainable development, including climate change, disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, fighting global terrorism, maintaining peace and stability and ensuring maritime freedom on territorial waters in the region.
South Korea is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners. As of August 2011, it was the largest investor in Vietnam with more than 2,800 valid projects capitalized at US$23.3 billion.
Two-way trade between the two nations reached US$12.9 billion in 2010, rising by 42% over 2009. The figure shot to US$12.7 billion in the January-September period this year, a 44.5% year-on-year increase.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has been on the nation’s priority list for ODA and has received US$1 billion so far.
Besides, South Korea is the third largest market for Vietnamese labor, with about 60,000 Vietnamese nationals currently working in the country as guest-workers.
The two countries also effectively cooperated in the fields of education and training and culture. The two countries have signed several cooperative agreements in these fields.
President Lee also accepted his Vietnamese counterpart’s invitation to visit Vietnam in the future.