(VOVworld) – Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung left Hanoi on Wednesday for Seoul to attend a summit to mark the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-Republic of Korea dialogue relations and pay an official visit to the Republic of Korea until December 12. His participation at the summit aims to strengthen the ASEAN-Republic of Korea relationship and the Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership.
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| Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Korean President Park Geun-Hye |
High on the agenda of the summit themed “Building Trust, Bringing Happiness”, leaders of ASEAN and the Republic of Korea will review the development orientations for dialogue relations, discuss pressing regional and global issues, and adopt a joint statement describing a vision of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea strategic partnership.
Boosting ASEAN-Republic of Korea dialogue relations for practical and effective results
Since the establishment of dialogue relations in 1989, ASEAN–Republic of Korea relations have expanded to a comprehensive partnership in 2004 and a strategic partnership in 2010.
The two sides are implementing an action plan for the 2010-2015 period and preparing an action plan for 2016-2020. They share a common interest in regional peace, security, and stability. The Republic of Korea supports ASEAN in East Sea issues.
At a recent workshop on the ASEAN-Republic of Korea strategic partnership co-organized by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and the Korean Embassy in Hanoi, Nguyen Tien Minh, Head of the ASEAN Department, said: “Economics, trade, and investment are pillars of our bilateral relations. The Republic of Korea is ASEAN’s 5th largest trading partner and ASEAN is a big trading partner and the 2nd largest market for Korean investors. Both sides have expanded cooperation in education, culture, human resources, and handling non-traditional security challenges like climate change and food and water security.”
ASEAN and the Republic of Korea have set a target of 150 billion USD in trade revenue in 2015 and 200 billion USD in 2020 as they continue to tap the advantages of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement.
The two sides will closely cooperate and support each other’s efforts to maintain peace, stability, and security in Northeast and Southeast Asia and cope with risks like nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and in the East Sea.
Enhancing Vietnam-Republic of Korea strategic partnership
In the 22 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992 and the 5 years since the signing of a strategic cooperative partnership in 2009, relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea have developed rapidly especially in economics, trade, and investment. The Republic of Korea has the largest number of direct invested projects in Vietnam and is Vietnam’s third largest trading partner. Two-way trade in 2013 was 27.5 billion USD, 4 times higher than in 2007. The two countries are set to raise two-way trade revenue to 70 billion USD in 2020 and will sign a Free Trade Agreement soon.
In 2013 the Republic of Korea sent 750,000 tourists to Vietnam, twice as many as in 2007. The Republic of Korea is Vietnam’s second biggest labor export market. 5,000 Vietnamese students are currently studying in the Republic of Korea. There are about 100 flights per week between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea. The number of Vietnamese- Korean bicultural families is growing rapidly. Former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said at a recent conference: “Vietnam and the Republic of Korea are good friends. Our people cooperate and support each other. Our nation’s prosperity owes a lot to Vietnam-Republic of Korea relations.”
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the Republic of Korea will foster mutual trust and closer relations between the two countries’ leaders and confirm Vietnam’s active, responsible role in the ASEAN-Republic of Korea dialogue relations.