President Park Geun-hye held summit talks with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, on October 2 at Cheong Wa Dae upon his state visit to Korea. The two leaders agreed to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) this year and to cooperate on building transportation infrastructure in Vietnam.
At the exclusive and extended summits, both leaders reviewed the development of their bilateral relationship since President Park’s state visit to Vietnam last year. They discussed the future direction of the bilateral relationship, how it could further develop and issues involving the Korean Peninsula.
The two leaders called on Pyongyang to fulfill the requirements of the U.N. Security Council resolution and the September 19 Joint Statement. They also adopted a joint declaration which calls for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In the declaration, they reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for Seoul’s vision for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to conclude their FTA negotiations, which Korea and Vietnam have been continuing since 2012.
At the summit, President Park said, “Since the establishment of our diplomatic relationship in 1992, Korea and Vietnam have shown remarkable progress in bilateral relations. The noticeable advancements in our economies are attributed to the cultural and emotional similarity and to the deep cultural ties that exist between our nations. I hope our two countries can build friendship and trust, and deepen our strategic partnership. I hope that the new joint declaration adopted today can open a new era in our bilateral relationship.”
Park said, “Korea and Vietnam have been engaged in active exchanges, including exchanges among high-ranking officials, and cooperation for 22 years, ever since our diplomatic relationship started. Both countries have positioned themselves as important cooperation partners for each other in all areas, including politics, security, economics, trade, society and culture.
“The volume of economic cooperation has greatly expanded since both countries built a strategic partnership in 2009, a relationship which we need to develop further in the future,” she added.
At the summit, the two leaders discussed measures to bolster financial and economic cooperation by supporting Korean firms when they participate in large-scale energy infrastructure projects in Vietnam, and by helping Korean banks penetrate the Vietnamese market.
Both leaders reconfirmed Vietnam’s support for the upcoming ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit, scheduled to be held in Busan this December, where the Vietnamese prime minister will attend. They also agreed to set up an exclusive department in the police organizations of both countries in order to protect the safety of the people of the two countries who travel or reside in each other’s nations.
On the occasion of the summit, the two governments signed memoranda of understanding on economic cooperation projects worth USD 12 billion. These covered cooperation on military supply warranties and the provision of aid for victims of land mines and blind shells. Korea and Vietnam signed a loan contract to build the Vam Cong Bridge in Vietnam, a project in which Korean firms will take part.
The general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited Korea alone upon the invitation of President Park. His visit is line with the people-to-people exchanges that have been going on between top-ranking officials of the two countries, following President Park’s state visit to Vietnam in September 2013.
President Park paid the state visit to Vietnam in 2013 to hold summit talks with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. The two presidents adopted a joint statement that aims to pursue substantial development in their bilateral relationship and to finalize the Korea-Vietnam FTA by 2014.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
arete@korea.kr
Source : CHEONG WA DAE
