(VOVworld)-Vietnam and the Republic of Korea have agreed to increase dialogues and multifaceted cooperation, especially in diplomacy, national defence, security, economics, and investment.

The consensus came during talks in Seoul on Wednesday between President Lee Myung-bak and visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The two sides agreed to work closely to balance bilateral trade of which Vietnam suffers from an import surplus, and to soon kick-start negotiations on the Vietnam-RoK free trade agreement (FTA). President Lee said the RoK considers Vietnam one of its leading partners in investment and development cooperation and will take into account Vietnam’s proposals regarding cooperation in trade, investment, development aid, science-technology, education, transport, construction, and agriculture. The two leaders agreed to boost cooperation in labor and vocational training, deal with related issues and protect the citizens of the two countries including Vietnamese women marrying South Koreans. After talks, PM Dung and President Lee witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation agreements including a memorandum of understanding between Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance, an agreement on nuclear energy development for peaceful purposes between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy.