Seoul (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from June 30 to July 3 holds important meanings, opening up a new page for Vietnam - RoK relations which started more than 30 years ago and are currently thriving, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Vu Ho.
This will be the first high-level visit after the two countries agreed to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022, Ho said, adding that its outcomes will serve as a driving force for bilateral relations, creating a premise for new, deeper, and broader developments in the coming years.
The success of this official visit will also sends out a message to the regional and international community about the two countries’ determination to increase exchanges, promote cooperation, and improve connectivity between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development of the entire Asia-Pacific.
According to the diplomat, both sides are currently giving finishing touches to the preparations for the visit, with various events and activities being carefully considered, covering numerous fields from politics - security, economics - trade, and people-to-people exchange, to labour, cultural promotion, and tourism.
Priorities of the PM’s trip will be steps to further strengthen trust between the two countries, open up new opportunities for their businesses, and deepen linkages between their peoples.
Economic cooperation, a main pillar in the bilateral relationship, is a bright spot in Vietnam's international economic cooperation. Two-way trade surged from 500 million USD in 1992 to 87 billion USD in 2022 and is heading towards the 100 billion USD mark. Meanwhile, the RoK has maintained its position as Vietnam’s biggest investors, with total direct investment topping 87 billion USD.
Currently, there are more than 230,000 Vietnamese people living, working, and studying in the RoK. Last year, nearly 11,000 Vietnamese labourers were sent to the RoK to work. The figure is expected to increase to nearly 13,000 this year. Meanwhile, in 2023, 4 million Koreans visited Vietnam, and the figure is forecast to reach 4.5 million in 2024./.
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