(VOVWORLD) - RoK President Lee Jae Myung and Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam held talks after the welcoming ceremony on Monday to outline key measures to sustain and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the years ahead.
 The Republic of Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam before the official talks. (Photo: Van Hieu/VOV) |
In his address, the Vietnamese Party leader said: “I am delighted and sincerely thank you, Mr. President, for giving special priority to inviting me as the first state guest since the formation of the new government in the Republic of Korea. This demonstrates the high regard and priority that the Republic of Korea and you personally have for our bilateral relations. Once again, I warmly congratulate you on being elected the 21st President of the Republic of Korea. I strongly believe that with your prestige, capability, and strategic vision, you will lead your country to create new ‘Miracles on the Hangang River’ in the years to come.”
 At the talks between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and General Secretary To Lam (Photo: Van Hieu/VOV) |
President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed that Vietnam is an extremely important partner for the Republic of Korea, not only in trade and investment, but also in national security. He said with its rapid economic development, Vietnam will become a developed, high-income country in the near future.
At the joint press briefing following the talks, the two leaders said, in the spirit of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two sides had discussed and agreed on several major orientations to advance bilateral ties in the coming time.
The two sides agreed to continue expanding cooperation through Party, State, Government, and National Assembly channels to provide timely strategic direction and create a favorable political foundation to expand cooperation in all fields. They pledged to enhance practical cooperation in diplomacy, defense, and security, and work closely to address non-traditional security challenges, transnational crime, cybercrime, and drug trafficking.
Both sides committed to further expanding investment in tandem with substantive technological cooperation, with priority given to infrastructure development, high-tech electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, smart cities, and the establishment of specialized industrial production complexes along value chains. The two sides will facilitate trade and open markets for each other’s goods in order to raise bilateral trade to 150 billion USD by 2030 and focus cooperation on developing strategic transportation infrastructure, energy infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and infrastructure resilient to climate change.
The two leaders expressed confidence that the Vietnam–Republic of Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to grow in a substantive, effective, sustainable, and long-term manner for the benefits of the two peoples and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
The same day, General Secretary To Lam and President Lee Jae Myung witnessed the signing of multiple Vietnam–Republic of Korea bilateral cooperation documents.