Vietnam, RoK agree to try for two-way trade of 100 bln USD by 2020
Seoul (VNA) – Visiting Deputy
Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and host Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Lee
Nak-yeon on June 21 agreed to try to lift two-way trade to 100 billion USD by
2020 from 65 billion USD in 2018, together with reducing Vietnam’s trade
deficit.
During a meeting in Seoul, the two
vowed to continue further enhancing bilateral ties in the near future via facilitating
high-level visits, partnering in promising fields, expanding people-to-people
exchange and working closely together on regional and global issues.
The Deputy PM asked the RoK side to
actively consider specific measures to narrow Vietnam’s trade deficit, make it
easier for Vietnam’s farm produce and aquatic products to enter the RoK,
improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese products and bring them to the RoK’s
global value chain, and expand joint work in labour and tourism.
He informed his guest that the
Vietnamese Government has approved the opening of the RoK Consulate General in
the central city of Da Nang, and wished that the RoK government would continue
assisting the Vietnamese community in the RoK.
Thanking the RoK for supporting
Vietnam’s run for a non-permanent seat the United Nations Security Council, the
Deputy PM urged the country to partner with Vietnam to help fulfill its tasks
in the role for the 2020-2021 tenure as well as in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in
2020.
Vietnam consistently supports
peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and wants the RoK to back ASEAN’s
stance and central role in the region, he said.
Lee, for his part, pledged to
consider Vietnam’s suggestion on farm produce export to the RoK as well as
preferential loans.
He affirmed attention to the Vietnamese
community living there and promised to mitigate risks faced by Vietnamese
brides.
Wishing the first economic
dialogue at the deputy prime minister level a success, he vowed that the RoK
government will direct activities to realise commitments reached at the
meeting.
During a meeting with Speaker of
the RoK’s National Assembly Moon Hee-sang, Hue asked the host and the RoK
legislature to consider specific ways to reduce Vietnam’s trade deficit, and
encourage RoK firms to expand investment in Vietnam.
Moon said the RoK’s political
parties treasure the strengthening of extensive cooperation with Vietnam, a key
and strategic nation in the government’s New Southern Policy.
The RoK legislature wants to
expand ties with the Vietnamese side and supports policies on developing
bilateral ties, he said.
They expressed their belief that
with geographical proximity, cultural similarities, and communities of over
210,000 Vietnamese people in the RoK and more than 160,000 RoK people in
Vietnam, bilateral strategic cooperative partnership will further grow in the
near future.-VNA