HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn met with the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, during his official visit to the country, agreeing that the two countries should elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

At the meeting, President Moon Jae-in conveyed his cordial greetings to General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and other senior leaders of Việt Nam.

Welcoming Foreign Minister Sơn to the Republic of Korea, he said the visit is an important event that marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation between the RoK and Việt Nam.

President Moon said that the RoK has always considered Việt Nam a key partner in implementing the New Southern Policy.

He said he hoped that the two sides will soon upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. He proposed the country continue to create favourable conditions for Korean businesses to operate in Việt Nam, especially investment in the fields of infrastructure and finance, as well as large-scale projects in the country.

He said the two countries should strengthen coordination in regional and international issues of mutual concern.

President Moon highly appreciates Việt Nam’s coordinating role in Korea-ASEAN relations in the 2021-24 period, saying that the visit of the Vietnamese foreign minister would contribute to promoting the development of relations between the two countries, and between the RoK and ASEAN.

Minister Sơn congratulated the achievements that the RoK has achieved recently, especially in response to the pandemic and socio-economic development.

He affirmed that Việt Nam attaches great importance to and hopes to further develop relations with the RoK, in which the focus is on implementing activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation, and upgrading the two countries' relations to the next level of comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

The minister said the two countries should maintain regular high-level exchanges and contacts, and create a favourable political environment, while effectively having mechanisms to expand cooperation, especially in the fields of economy, trade, investment and post-pandemic recovery.

He said Việt Nam will strive to raise the two countries' trade turnover to US$100 billion by 2023, as well as strengthening cooperation in culture, education, tourism, labour, people-to-people exchanges and closely coordinating in supporting each other's citizens, while continuing to maintain coordination on multilateral forums.

The minister said that Việt Nam will fulfil its role as a coordinator of ASEAN-Korea relations in the 2021-24 period, bringing more substantial and effective progress to the relationship between ASEAN and the RoK.

He said he hoped the two countries will continue to coordinate and show a positive stance in maintaining peace, stability and legal order at sea, respecting freedom of navigation and overflight, and settling disputes at the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982).

Furthermore, support must continue regarding the building of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in accordance with international laws, including UNCLOS 1982. —  VNS