Ambassador Park Noh Wan: Viet Nam is the first-footer to the Republic of Korea
The official visit to the Republic of Korea by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has a great meaning ahead of the two countries' upgrading their relations to the highest level, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Park Noh Wan said.
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| Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Park Noh Wan. (Source: The Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Viet Nam) |
Could you please share about the significance and main contents of Vietnamese Foreign Minister’s new year visit to the Republic of Korea?
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son’s official visit to the Republic of Korea is the first event in a series of activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries this year. The visit takes place ahead of the two countries' upgrading their relations to the highest level, therefore, it has great significance.
Besides, it is the official visit to Korea by the Vietnamese Foreign Minister after 4 years since December 2017 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, so the visit also has a special meaning.
Within the framework of this visit, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has taken a number of activities such as attending the Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) Ministerial Conference of the Fund for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), holding talks with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea and paying a courtesy call on senior leaders of the Republic of Korea.
I know that Vietnamese people attach great importance to the first-footer on the first day of the new year due to the notion that it is the person who will bring luck for the whole year. And the first-footer to the Republic of Korea right after the Lunar New Year holiday is Viet Nam.
2022 is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea (1992-2022). What is the plan of the embassy for commemorating activities and events?
The two governments are currently discussing to upgrade the relationship to the highest level - a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
On the basis of elevating the relationship, the Government of the Republic of Korea will make efforts to expand bilateral, multilateral and regional cooperation with Viet Nam, and at the same time bring the trade turnover between the two sides to reach 100 billion USD in 2023, towards reaching 150 billion USD by 2030.
The Republic of Korea’s Government will also join Viet Nam in responding to changes in the global economic model such as climate change, green transition, the 4th industrial revolution, health care, infectious diseases, etc.
In addition, the two sides also make joint efforts to further expand cultural exchanges in order to promote friendship and understanding between the two countries and their people.
How do you evaluate the potential of bilateral cooperation in the coming time, especially in the economic cooperation?
Recently, the world situation has become more and more serious. Uncertainty and instability are growing.
However, the strategic cooperative partnership between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea is still developing firmly and stably. In particular, the necessity and feasibility of the economic cooperation between the two countries has been increasingly confirmed when the majority of the Republic of Korea’s enterprises moved their production bases to Viet Nam in the context of global supply chain disruptions.
Recently, Viet Nam has supported the supply of urea to the Republic of Korea when we faced difficulty in securing this strategic material. This is evidence that the close economic relationship between the two countries is deepening and developing into a strategic relation in which the two countries can support each other.
Viet Nam has aimed to become a developed country by 2045, it can be said that the most suitable partner of Viet Nam is the Republic of Korea, a country with experience in improving from the poorest country to the developed country in a short period of time.
Starting with the visit by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, I hope that the exchange and cooperation between the two countries this year will become more exciting. On this basis, the strategic cooperation between the two countries in the field of economy in particular and politics, security, society and culture in general will be consolidated and expanded. The future of co-prosperity that the two countries open together will certainly be bright!
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