HCM City (VNA) – The People’sCommittee of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on December 20 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam - Republic of Korea (RoK) diplomatic relations.

In his speech, Vice Secretary of themunicipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu said 30 years is a modest period comparedto the two countries’ millennia-long histories, but it has witnessed greatstrides in bilateral ties, including the elevation of relations to acomprehensive partnership in 2001, a strategic cooperative partnership in 2009,and a comprehensive strategic partnership during a State visit to the NortheastAsian country by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc earlier this month.

The recent upgrade of relationsmarked a new milestone and heralded a stage of stronger and more substantive developmentin the two countries’ connections, the official went on.

He noted HCM City is proud to be oneof the leading Vietnamese localities in strengthening connections with the RoK,elaborating that it has set up friendship and cooperative ties with seven Koreanlocalities.

As of December 2022, the RoK was amajor investor and the fourth largest trading partner of HCM City, withbilateral trade reaching 5.6 billion USD. It is also one of the three biggestsources of foreign tourists to the southern metropolis of Vietnam.

The more than 80,000 RoK nationals inHCM City and nearby provinces have become a bridge contributing to the mutualunderstanding, trust, friendship, and fruitful cooperation between Vietnam,including HCM City, and the RoK, Hieu said, adding that local authorities willprovide favourable conditions for the RoK community to live, work, and study there.

The official expressed his belief that upholding achievements recorded during the 30years of relations and basing on political trust, mutual understanding,complementary strengths, the relations between Vietnam, including HCM City, and theRoK will develop unceasingly in the next five years and beyond.

Addressing the ceremony, ConsulGeneral of the RoK in HCM City Kang Myong-il said since their diplomatic tieswere set up in 1992, the two countries have recorded flourishing links withbreakthroughs in economic and people-to-people exchanges.

Apart from striving for 100 billion USD in bilateral trade, the two peoplesshould also work harder to develop their ties more extensively andsubstantively, he opined, noting that their efforts will help promote the goodimpression of each other’s nation so as to develop relations in a more idealand meaningful manner.

The Governments and businesses of bothsides will also keep doing their utmost to contribute to common efforts by thetwo peoples, according to the diplomat./.