Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Pham Binh Minh on September 18 proposed pushing ahead with theresumption of visits by leaders of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) andeffectively maintaining dialogues in flexible forms.

He made the suggestions in Hanoi during talks with RoKForeign Minister Kang Kyung Wha, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam on September17 and 18.

The visit is significant in promoting cooperationbetween the two countries, he said. Kang is also the first foreign guest to makeofficial visit to Vietnam since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam always attaches importance to its relationshipwith the RoK and wishes to tighten collaboration in order to boost thebilateral strategic cooperative partnership more practically, especially in thecontext two countries are celebrating the 30th anniversary of theirdiplomatic ties in 2020, Minh told his guest.

He said that despite the pandemic, Vietnam and the RoKhave flexibly maintained all-level exchanges and cooperation in differentspheres, particularly the economy.

Minh suggested the RoK Government facilitate theexport of Vietnamese agricultural products to the country, initially pomelo andred dragon fruit, while helping Vietnam join RoK value chains in the RoK andglobally, contributing to raising two-way trade to 100 billion USD shortly.

For her part, Kang lauded Vietnam’s efforts incontaining COVID-19 as well as the country’s role as the ASEAN Chair amid ahost of difficulties caused by the pandemic.

The minister expressed her hope that Vietnam will reapmore socio-economic and diplomatic achievements in the time ahead.

The RoK Government attaches importance to and wishesto deepen the relationship with Vietnam - a major partner in its New SouthernPolicy, Kang said, pledging that it will further support Vietnam in performingthe roles of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during the2020-2021 term and the ASEAN Chair in 2020.

The RoK will also join hands with Vietnam toaccelerate the implementation of high-level agreements practically andeffectively, contributing to advancing the bilateral strategic cooperativepartnership to a new high, she continued.

The minister also spoke highly of Vietnam’s decisionto resume commercial flights with the RoK and suggested the two countriesincrease the frequency in the time to come.

Kang called on Vietnam to facilitate the entry of RoKbusinesspeople under COVID-19 prevention and control regulations, in order tostep up bilateral economic, trade, and investment ties.

The two sides agreed to encourage RoK firms to investand expand operation in Vietnam.

The RoK will further expand its non-refundable aid toVietnam and support official development assistance (ODA) infrastructureprojects in response to climate change.

The two countries consented to strengtheningcooperation in health care and soon extend a memorandum of understanding onsending and receiving Vietnamese workers to the RoK, reached in 2018.

More attention will be paid to assisting theVietnamese community in the RoK, including Vietnamese women who are married tolocal men, they agreed.

Regarding regional and international issues, the twocountries will maintain close coordination and effective cooperation inmultilateral mechanisms such as the UN, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, WTO, and Mekong.

At the same time, they will partner in the fightagainst natural disasters and disease, especially COVID-19.

They also highlighted efforts in promoting dialogueand peacefully settling the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. Both supportmaintaining peace, stable security, and the peaceful settlement of the East Seaissue in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on theLaw of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS)./.