Prime Minister Chính Arrives in Republic of Korea for Official Visit

Seongnam, The Gulf Observer: On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, his spouse Lê Thị Bích Trân, and a Vietnamese delegation arrived in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, marking the beginning of an official visit to the Republic of Korea from June 30 to July 3. This visit is made at the invitation of RoK Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and his spouse.

This historic visit is the first official visit by a high-ranking Vietnamese leader to the RoK since the elevation of their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. An official welcoming ceremony was held at Seongnam military airport for the Vietnamese delegation.

During his visit, Prime Minister Chính is scheduled to participate in more than 30 activities. These include official meetings with high-ranking Korean leaders, engagements in business, tourism promotion, cultural cooperation, and labor forums, as well as roundtables with leaders of Korean economic organizations and intellectuals in the fields of semiconductor and artificial intelligence.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the eve of the visit, RoK Prime Minister Han Duck Soo emphasized that Prime Minister Chính’s visit is expected to consolidate political trust and deepen strategic cooperation between the two nations. Han highlighted the significant contributions of high-ranking leaders’ visits to the close ties between the two countries, noting that Việt Nam and the RoK have developed exemplary cooperative relations over the past 30 years, becoming important trade partners with nearly US$100 billion in two-way trade, a figure expected to reach $150 billion by 2030.

Prime Minister Han further noted that as Việt Nam is a key partner in the RoK’s Korea – ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the RoK seeks to enhance the win-win and practical partnership with Việt Nam to ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid rapid regional changes. He underscored the importance of strategic exchanges and contacts between key leaders to bolster bilateral ties, especially in key areas like economy, trade, science-technology, climate change, and human resources training.

Addressing global issues, Han stated that the RoK, aiming to become a global pivotal state, is striving to contribute more to global freedom, peace, and prosperity. With Việt Nam’s increasing international role, the two nations, as comprehensive strategic partners, have substantial demand for further cooperation on regional and international issues. Han also acknowledged Việt Nam’s support for the peaceful resolution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear issue, expressing hope for continued collaboration.

Regarding climate change response, Han expressed confidence in the two nations’ ability to transform the climate crisis into opportunities for green growth. Both countries, as leading signatories of the 2015 Paris Agreement, have opened up markets for carbon reduction and are accelerating transitions to environmentally-friendly energy.

RoK Ambassador to Việt Nam Choi Young Sam emphasized that Prime Minister Chính’s visit marks a pivotal moment in further elevating RoK-Việt Nam relations. He noted that this visit is the first highest-level engagement since the two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022 and comes exactly one year after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit.

The visit will also explore ways to enhance regional cooperation, including within ASEAN and the Mekong sub-region, and address global challenges such as climate change. Ambassador Choi highlighted the need for both countries to expand their cooperation beyond manufacturing to areas like digital transformation, green transition, and cultural industries. He shared his vision for collaboration on carbon-free energy transition, including green hydrogen and future green industries.

Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ stated that the trip underscores the importance Vietnamese leaders place on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK. It signifies a commitment to actualizing agreements, particularly the Action Plan to implement the partnership signed in June 2023. The visit will provide an opportunity for both nations to evaluate progress in their partnership and discuss strategic matters related to national defense-security, economic-trade-investment ties, people-to-people exchange, and joint work at multilateral forums.

Amid a rapidly evolving global and regional landscape, this visit reaffirms Việt Nam’s foreign policy, emphasizing friendship and cooperation with the RoK, and expresses Việt Nam’s commitment to contributing to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development.