RoK’s foreign minister proposes more commercial flights be resumed with Vietnam

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kang Kyung-wha shakes hands with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh on Friday during their meeting in Hanoi. - VNA/VNS Photo Lam Khanh

Kang Kyung-wha, the first foreign minister to visit Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic began, proposed the two countries increase the frequency of those flights and hoped that Vietnam would continue to create favourable conditions for the RoK’s businesspeople to enter following COVID-19 prevention protocols with an aim of fostering the bilateral economic, trade and investment co-operation.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh appreciated Kang Kyung-wha’s visit to Vietnam, saying it played an important role in strengthening the partnership between the two sides.

“Vietnam attaches importance to relations with the RoK and is willing to consolidate the Vietnam-RoK strategic partnership, especially at the time the two countries are looking towards the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2022,” Minh said.

The guest congratulated Vietnam for its COVID-19 containment and chairmanship of ASEAN in the context of challenges posed by the pandemic.

She expressed her belief that Vietnam would continue to obtain more socio-economic and external affair achievements in the future based on its 75-year foundation since gaining independence.

As Vietnam is a key partner in the RoK’s New Southern Policy, the RoK’s government is willing to deepen relations with Vietnam and continue to support Vietnam in taking over the role of a non-permanent member of UN Security Council in the 2020-21 term and rotating chair of ASEAN in 2020, she said.

The RoK will closely work with Vietnam to accelerate the practical and effective implementation of high-level agreements, developing the bilateral relations, she said.

The host spoke highly of maintaining exchanges between the two countries at all levels in spite of COVID-19, proposing the resumption of high-level officials’ visits and maintaining flexible channels of dialogue mechanism.

Deputy PM Minh asked the RoK’s government to shorten the procedures for risk assessment and analysis to create conditions for Vietnam's agricultural and aquatic products to be exported to the RoK, in the short term, prioritising pomelo and dragon fruit.

Vietnam also asked for support to improve competitiveness and bring Vietnamese products into the value chain of Korean businesses in the RoK and abroad, contributing to soon reaching the goal of US$100 billion of two-way trade turnover.

The two sides agreed to encourage Korean enterprises to invest and expand the scale of investment in Vietnam as well as increase non-refundable aids to Vietnam.

Vietnam and the RoK will also strengthen collaboration in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, labour, climate change, science and technology.

On international and regional issues, an agreement was reached to continue mutual support for each other for the candidacy of multilateral mechanisms and pledged effective co-operation at multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, WTO, Mekong.

The RoK will continue to support Vietnam to successfully organise the ASEAN Summit, the 10th Mekong-RoK Ministerial Meeting, the 2nd Mekong-RoK Summit and the Mekong-RoK Business Forum this year.

Vietnam and the RoK welcome efforts to promote dialogue, peaceful settlement of the North Korea’s nuclear issue, and support the maintenance of peace, stability, security, and resolving disputes in the South China Sea (called East Sea by Vietnam) by peaceful means in accordance with international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.