RoK National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-Seug visits Ninh Binh province. (Photo: VGP)

During the visit, Korean National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong Seug held talks with Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

He also paid a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong; met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and met with President of the Vietnam-RoK Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Tran Van Tuy.

On this occasion, the senior delegation of the Korean National Assembly led by Speaker Park Byeong Seug came to lay a wreath and visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; visited and worked in Ninh Binh province; visited Samsung Vietnam factory in Bac Ninh; visited and worked in Ho Chi Minh city, met with representatives of the Korean community who are doing business, living in Ho Chi Minh city, visiting the historic Reunification Hall; and visited and worked with Samil Vina Company and Hyosung Company located in Nhon Trach district, Dong Nai province.

At the meetings, the two sides said that the two nations had long-standing relationships and people-to-people exchanges. Over the past 28 years, since the two countries established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1992, the Vietnam-Korea "strategic cooperation partnership" has been developing strongly and deepened. The two sides have become each other's leading important partners in many fields.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her thanks from the Party, State and people of Vietnam to the Korean leaders and people for presenting a package of 300,000 USD to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control during the time when recent storms and floods hitting some central provinces of Vietnam caused many human and property losses.

Regarding economic - trade - investment cooperation, the RoK maintained its leading position among 136 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 70.2 billion USD, with nearly 9,000 valid projects. 

The RoK continues to maintain its position as an important partner of Vietnam, ranked first in investment, second in ODA and trade, and is one of the key tourist supply markets of Vietnam. The RoK is the second largest labor receiving market of Vietnam, while Vietnam is the second largest country sending workers to the Rok, and is the largest economic partner of the RoK in ASEAN.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters, along with peacefully resolving disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In terms of the relationship between the two National Assemblies, they said the two agencies have cooperated well to contribute to the Vietnam-RoK strategic cooperative partnership. Through National Assembly diplomacy, the two sides have helped enhance political trust and people-to-people exchange, expand and improve the effectiveness of cooperation in different fields, and share views on regional and international issues of common concern. They have also supported the two governments’ cooperation programmes and plans, as well as the regional cooperation and connectivity frameworks that both countries promote.

The National Assemblies of the two countries support bilateral cooperation programs and plans of the Governments as well as frameworks for regional cooperation and association that the two countries promote, including the relations between the National Assemblies of the two countries for people’s benefit, for peace, cooperation and development in the region and in the world.

The two sides agreed to continue to maintain high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels in flexible and appropriate forms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; to create a favorable environment for the realization of the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and continuing socio-economic development.

They also agreed to further listen to opinions from Vietnamese and RoK citizens so as to monitor the implementation of policies, thus creating a stable and favourable legal environment for citizens living in each other’s territories. In addition, they would continue bringing into play the role of their parliamentary friendship groups./.

Compiled by BTA