Hanoi (VNA) – Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has highlighted the importance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from June 30 to July 3, the first by a high-ranking leader of Vietnam since the two countries upgraded the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

Talking with the press on the threshold of the trip, Vu said the visit comes at a time when the Vietnam-RoK relationship is at its best, with the RoK being one of Vietnam's top economic partners. The RoK is also currently leading in direct investment and tourism, ranks second in development cooperation, and third in trade and labour cooperation.

The trip underscores the importance that Vietnamese Party and State leaders have attached to the Comprehensive strategic partnership with the RoK. It also signifies a commitment to actualise the agreements made by leaders, particularly the Action Plan to implement the bilateral Comprehensive strategic partnership, which was signed in June 2023 following the upgrade of the relationship.

It will provide an opportunity for both nations to evaluate the recent progress in their Comprehensive strategic partnership and discuss strategic matters related to national defence-security, economic-trade-investment ties, people-to-people exchange, joint work at multilateral forums, and other key areas.

Amid the rapidly evolving and complex global and regional landscape, the visit continues to reaffirm Vietnam's foreign policy that treasures its friendship and cooperation with the RoK. It also expresses Vietnam's commitment to contributing to the maintenance and promotion of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and beyond, he said.

During his stay in the RoK, PM Chinh is scheduled to engage in more than 30 activities, including official meetings with high-ranking Korean leaders, attending and speaking at business, tourism promotion, cultural cooperation, and labour forums; and roundtables with leaders of Korean economic organisations and intellectuals and scientists in the fields of semiconductor and artificial intelligence.

He will also meet with representatives of leading Korean economic conglomerates investing in Vietnam, deliver a policy speech at the Seoul National University, and visit Samsung's semiconductor manufacturing plant in Pyeongtaek city of Gyeonggi province.

Through these diverse activities, Vietnam aims to enhance the quality and quantity of economic, trade, and investment cooperation and diversify supply chains. The visit also seeks to strengthen cooperation in future-oriented fields such as semiconductors, supporting industries, digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, and climate change response; and in labour, cultural industry, and tourism.

♔ The ultimate goal is to soon increase two-way trade to 100 billion USD and move towards 150 billion USD by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner, Vu added./.