Vietnam, RoK Enhance Legislative Ties

Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai (right) and Kim Hak-yong, member of the RoK NA and former President of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group. Photo: VNA

Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai on February 20 suggested the Republic of Korea (RoK) – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group make more contributions to the bilateral legislative ties, VNA reported

At a reception for a delegation of the RoK National Assembly led by Kim Hak-yong, former President of the group, in Hanoi, Hai suggested Yong and other Korean legislators continue supporting RoK firms to expand their investment in Vietnam, particularly in digital technology, renewable energy, support industries, semi-conductor industry and high-quality agriculture.

He highlighted the good bilateral legislative relations, with pragmatic achievements recorded in the spirit of the cooperation agreement signed by the two legislatures in July 2013. They are considering the supplementation or signing of a new document to conform to the comprehensive strategic partnership and the current international situation.

Hai recalled the official visit to the RoK by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue in December 2021, and the visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the RoK NA Kim Jin-pyo last January.

The Vietnamese and Korean leaders agreed to make efforts to lift two-way trade to USD 100 billion in 2023 and USD 150 billion by 2030 by capitalizing on their existing bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. They consented to step up cooperation in the fields of semiconductors, digital transformation, energy security, and just energy transition.

At the working session. Photo: VNA

Hai lauded the role by the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the contributions by Yong to the legislative ties.

He suggested the two sides maintain delegation exchanges at different levels with diverse, flexible forms in order to enhance mutual understanding and consolidate the political will on promoting the Vietnam-RoK relationship in a stable manner and for a long term, thus facilitating the expansion of cooperation across spheres.

The two sides should partner to comprehensively implement the 2013 agreement, share professional experience and urge the Vietnamese and Korean Governments to effectively materialize the reached agreements, he continued.

He also suggested RoK legislators coordinate with their Vietnamese counterparts in fostering cooperation between the two countries intensively, effectively and sustainably.

Hai emphasized the bridging role of friendship parliamentarians’ groups in the communication work to promote the friendship between the people of Vietnam and the RoK.

For his part, Yong called the upgrading of the Vietnam-RoK relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership a turning point, which has opened up great opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

The guest expressed his hope that the friendship parliamentarians groups of the two countries will step up exchanges, contributing to boosting the legislative ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung receives a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. Source: LĐXH newspaper

The same day, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung received Kim where he expressed his pleasure to meet again Kim in Hanoi, a congressman and close friend of Vietnam.

According to LĐXH newspaper, the Minister emphasized that Vietnam and South Korea have a special relationship with a long tradition and will develop and be more effective in the future.

Regarding the labor sector, the Minister said that currently, there are about 45,000 Vietnamese workers working in South Korea under programs such as EPS and seasonal work.

In particular, Vietnamese workers love coming to Korea to work because it has a stable income and a good working environment.

Speaking at the meeting, Kim was grateful for the warm welcome and affection of the leaders of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs for him and the delegation.

He shared that in 2023, Vietnam and South Korea will enter the 31st year of diplomatic relations. In 2022, senior leaders of the two countries agreed to elevate the relationship between the two countries to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This is a very rare relationship so far in the history of diplomatic relations in the world.

In the coming time, Kim Hack Yong hoped that the relationship of the two countries, especially the cooperation in the field of labor and employment, would continue to develop further to be worthy of being a comprehensive strategic partner.