VN, RoK strengthen parliament connections
VGP - National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan held talks with Speaker of the NA of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Chung Sye-kyun on the occasion of the Korean NA delegation’s official visit to Viet Nam from April 24-26.
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Photo: VNA |
Viet Nam expects to welcome the RoK President’s official visit and attendance in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the central city of Da Nang this November, she added.
The NA Chairwoman proposed the RoK support Viet Nam’s candidacy for the UNESCO Director-General.
Ms. Ngan hailed the RoK for taking the lead among 116 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam with US$50.98 billion in 6,000 projects.
She suggested the RoK supporting Viet Nam to effectively launch the Viet Nam-RoK Free Trade Agreement, which was inked in May 2015, enhance information exchanges and encourage Korean large corporations to invest in the food processing and agriculture-aquatic sectors.
In terms of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and financial cooperation, the top legislator thanked the RoK for considering Viet Nam as a prioritized partner to provide ODA, adding that the Vietnamese NA appreciates the value and effectiveness of the assistance which have contributed to reducing poverty and rural development.
She hoped that the RoK’s parliament will continue to supply non-refundable aid and ODA loans to Viet Nam in the fields of transport, health care, environment, high technology, personnel training and startup.
The two countries should soon finalise and sign a framework credit agreement for 2016-2020, Chairwoman Ngan said, asking the RoK to support and effectively operate the Korea-Viet Nam Incubator Park in Can Tho city to develop manpower in technology and industries.
The two sides should also enhance cooperation in shipbuilding and seaport design and construction while arranging capital for the establishment of an energy safety training centre in Vietnam, she said.
On his part, Chung Sye-kyun expressed his hope that Viet Nam considers the RoK a leading important partner in economic, trade and investment relations in realizing the industrialization and modernization goal.
The speaker suggested that Viet Nam early sign a social insurance agreement with the RoK, and back the upgrade of several RoK credit organizations’ representative offices in Viet Nam into branches.
Referring to the figure of 140,000 citizens living and working in the other country, the two sides stressed the need to boost cultural exchange programs and the teaching of Vietnamese and Korean languages in both countries.
The Vietnamese top legislator proposed increasing direct flights between the two countries to serve tourism, as Viet Nam welcomed around 1.54 million Korean tourists in 2016, and nearly 530,000 arrivals in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year rise of 29%.
The two parliament leaders agreed to strengthen coordination in the organization of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year, including the Vietnam-RoK Tourism Year and the annual Vietnamese cultural-tourism festival in the RoK.
The host informed her guest that the Vietnamese Government has decided to include the RoK in the list of 40 countries whose citizens can apply online for visas to Viet Nam, while keeping in place the unilateral exemption of visas for RoK citizens for under-15 day stay.
She asked the RoK to facilitate visa granting and consider visa exemption for Vietnamese tourists for short stay.
The two sides agreed to continue effectively implementing the memorandum of understanding on defense collaboration signed in October 2010.
On future legislative partnership, the two sides will stick to the cooperation deal signed between the two parliaments in July 2013.
The two top legislators also concurred to strengthen the connection between the two countries’ parliamentarians as well as their collaboration at regional and international parliamentarian forums.
The Vietnamese NA leader thanked the NA and Government of the RoK for creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country, proposing that the RoK’s parliament continue to design effective policies to protect and support the community, especially Vietnamese women married to Korean men.
On the occasion, RoK NA Speaker Chung Sye-kyun invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit the RoK. The Vietnamese NA Chairwoman also invited the RoK NA Speaker to attend the IPU conference on climate change hosted by the Vietnamese NA in Ho Chi Minh City from May 11-13 this year.
By Thuy Dung
