Busan (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested increasingstrategy in the partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) while addressing the first workingsession of the 2019 ASEAN-RoK Commemorative Summit in Busan on November 26.

Whileproposing some major orientations for ASEAN-RoK cooperation in the next threedecades, the Vietnamese leader stressed the respect for international law andan open, inclusive, transparent and rules-based regional architecture.

Thetwo sides should step up economic collaboration towards equality and mutualbenefits, and facilitate the flow of each other’s goods and investments in therespective markets, he said.

PMPhuc called on the RoK to admit labourers from ASEAN member countries,including Vietnam, and support them to get acquainted with the host society.

Healso suggested the RoK help the ten-member group train high-quality humanresources that meet requirements of the digital economy, and establish amaritime science research centre in order to enhance cooperation in maritimeeconomic development and sustainable marine environmental preservation.

ThePM stressed the significance of ensuring peace, security and stability in theregion, saying maintaining security, stability, safety and freedom ofnavigation and aviation in the East Sea is the shared interest of allcountries.

Heappealed to the RoK to back the grouping’s stance and principles, whilehighlighting the respect for international law and the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea, dialogue enhancement, trust building, theimplementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC),and negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), thus maintainingthe East Sea as waters of peace, stability, cooperation and free trade.

Atthe working session, the participating leaders shared the views that theASEAN-RoK partnership has developed remarkably over the past 30 years acrossspheres, ranging from politics-security to economy, culture, social affairs andpeople-to-people exchanges. The RoK is one of the ASEAN’s leading importantpartners.

ASEANleaders lauded the RoK’s New Southern Policy and Korean President Moon Jae-in’sefforts in strengthening relations with the ASEAN in the three pillars ofpeace, property and people.

Theycalled on the RoK to further assist the grouping in enhancing connectivity andbuilding the ASEAN Community, back its central role and actively participate inmechanisms led by the ASEAN aiming to promote dialogues and build trust.

Theyalso called for the RoK’s cooperation in coping with non-traditional securitychallenges effectively, thus contributing to maintaining peace, security andstability in the region.

Inthe sphere of economy, the RoK is the ASEAN’s fifth largest trade partner andinvestor, while the grouping is the RoK’s second biggest trade partner.

Two-waytrade reached 160.5 billion USD in 2018, up 16 times as compared with 1990. TheRoK invested 6.6 billion USD in the ASEAN last year.

Thetwo sides agreed to beef up trade and investment ties, optimise economicbenefits brought about by the ASEAN-RoK Free Trade Area, and strive to raisethe bilateral trade to 200 billion USD in 2020.

Theywill also join hands to promote economic liberalisation and connectivity andmake efforts to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreementin 2020.

Apartfrom cultural and people-to-people exchanges as well as tourism links, the twosides will forge partnerships in innovation, smart city building, naturaldisaster combat, climate change response and sustainable forest development.

PresidentMoon announced some cooperation initiatives with the ASEAN such as improvingthe visa system for ASEAN citizens to the RoK, doubling scholarships to ASEANstudents, establishing the ASEAN-RoK startup partnership, supporting startupsin new technologies, building the ASEAN-RoK industrial innovation centre, and furthersupporting the ASEAN in digital technological development. /.