At the reception, VFF President Tran Thanh Man noted with pleasure that since Vietnam and the RoK established their strategic partnership in 2009, the bilateral ties have been developed robustly with much progress seen in such fields as politics, security, defence, trade and investment.
The RoK has established itself as a key economic partner of Vietnam, currently the top foreign investor, the second biggest ODA provider and the third largest trade partner of Vietnam, he stressed.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also expanded, he said, reporting that around 150,000 Vietnamese people are currently living in the RoK.
He called for greater coordination from the ambassador and the RoK Embassy in Vietnam in facilitating exchanges and high-ranking visits between the two countries in order to increase mutual political trust, strengthen cooperation and deepen bilateral relations.
He expressed his hope for further bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, culture, education and tourism as well as more exchanges between Vietnamese organisations and Korean organisations and individuals.
He said he believed that ambassador Lee Hyuk would continue working as a bridge connecting the two countries and making further contributions to the development of the Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership.
For his part, Ambassador Lee Hyuk emphasised that the RoK always treasures bilateral cooperation with Vietnam.
He pledged to make further efforts in calling for more investment from Korean investors to Vietnam, promoting cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchange, as well as creating the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese people who are currently studying and working in the RoK.
He also conveyed his hope for further support from the VFF in boosting Vietnam- RoK ties for the interest of each nation, as well as for peace, stability and development in the regions and the world at large.
