They agreed on major cooperation activities in 2022, including the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties, the upgrading of the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the organisation of visits and meetings between senior leaders of the two countries, and the implementation of the existing cooperation mechanisms to bring about pragmatic interests to both sides.
Chung stressed the significance of Son’s official visit to the RoK, which, he said, opens up activities marking the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and offers an opportunity for the two sides to look into orientations to deepen the relationship.
For his part, Son affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance and wishes to boost cooperation with the RoK intensively and extensively, and suggested the two countries further utilise the existing cooperation mechanisms in diplomacy, national defence and security.
At the same time, the two sides should work to improve the efficiency of collaboration in economy, trade and investment, striving to raise the two-way trade to 100 billion USD by 2023 and 150 billion USD by 2030, he said.
The minister noted his hope that Korean firms will expand their investment in Vietnam, especially in high-tech, renewable energy, digital transformation and future industries, transfer technologies and build research and development (R&D) centres in Vietnam.
He called on the RoK to consider giving more big loans with incentives to major infrastructure and climate change projects in Vietnam.
Son also suggested deepening cooperation in labour, tourism, education and people-to-people exchange.
To facilitate the travelling of citizens and businesses of the two countries and contribute to achieving the dual goals of COVID-19 containment and economic development in each country, Son called for the RoK’s early recognition of Vietnam’s vaccine passport, and the country’s further support in the pandemic fight.
He suggested the RoK create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese in the host country, especially Vietnam-RoK multicultural families.
Reaffirming Vietnam as a leading important partner of the RoK, Chung said achievements recorded after the establishment of the diplomatic ties three decades ago would create a firm foundation for the bilateral relationship to move forward in the time ahead.
He presented specific proposals to deepen cooperation in politics-diplomacy, national defence-security, economy-trade, health care-science-technology, culture and people-to-people exchange.
The RoK’s Foreign Ministry will continue close coordination with its Vietnamese counterpart and other relevant ministries to practically contribute to boosting the strategic cooperative partnership in the coming time.
The two minsters also shared views on regional and international issues.
Son congratulated the RoK on the successful organisation of the first ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-run Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) on February 9, excellently fulling its role as co-chair of the programme in 2018-2022.
Vietnam will work harder to uphold its role as coordinator of the ASEAN-RoK relations and join hands to foster the relations, towards the 35th anniversary of the relations in 2024, he affirmed.
The two sides consented to step up coordination at multilateral forums and mechanisms, particularly the United Nations.
Vietnam stands ready to coordinate to promote inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation, contributing to the peace process and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, he pledged.
The minister expressed his hope that Vietnam and the RoK would persistently keep their positive stance on maintaining peace, stability and legal order at sea, respecting freedom of navigation and overflight, and settling disputes in the East Sea/South China Sea by peaceful measures in line international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He called for support to ASEAN and China in building a substantive, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, 1982 UNCLOS.
Son is on an official visit to the RoK from February 9-11 at the invitation of his RoK counterpart Chung Eui-yong.
Also on February 10, he met with the President of the RoK - Vietnam Friendship Association and the President of the Korean cultural development association, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK.
