PM Phạm Minh Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran leave Hanoi for an official visit to South Korea. - Photo: VNA/VNS
HANOI: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran and a Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on Sunday (June 30) morning for an official visit to South Korea from June 30 - July 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and his spouse.
This is the first official visit of a high-ranking Vietnamese leader to the republic since the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.
It is also the first visit to the republic by a Vietnamese Prime Minister over the past five years, and the first by Chinh as the PM of Vietnam.
The visit takes place at a time when the Vietnam-South Korea ties are developing strongly, with political trust increasingly strengthened and exchanges of delegations at all levels held regularly.
The two countries cooperate closely and support each other in regional and international forums.
South Korea continues to be a leading economic partner of and the largest investor in Vietnam with US$86 billion in investment as of April 2024.
The North-East Asian economic power is also the second largest partner in ODA cooperation of Vietnam, the third largest partner in terms of labour and trade, and the largest source of tourists to Vietnam in 2023.
Bilateral cooperation in other areas, including culture, education, labour, healthcare, people-to-people exchange and local collaboration has been promoted.
The Vietnamese community in South Korea now numbers more than 270,000.
PM Chinh’s visit will focus on intensifying cooperation in traditional fields such as politics, national defence, security, economy, labour, culture, tourism, science and technology, healthcare, education, as well as emerging areas in which the republic has strength and Vietnam has demand like semi-conductor, supporting industry, digital and green transition, circular economy, and climate change.
The PM will also seek the republic’s continued support for the Vietnamese community in the South Korea and enhance bilateral collaboration in issues of regional and international concerns. - Vietnam News/ANN
