On the 11th, President Lee Jae-myung and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam held a summit to discuss ways to develop relations between the two countries.
The Korea-Vietnam summit took place in the expanded conference room on the second floor of the Yongsan Presidential Office immediately after the official welcome ceremony, with major Ministers and aides from both countries in attendance.
President Lee noted in his opening remarks, "Vietnam is a very important neighboring country for Korea," adding that "Vietnam is growing at a very fast pace with the competent leadership of its party leadership, and it will surely rise to become a high-income advanced country in the near future as planned by the Vietnamese government."
President Lee also mentioned Vietnam's modern history, stating, "A resilient country that won battles against foreign forces and achieved reunification," and added, "I am confident that Vietnam will grow rapidly based on this resilience and will establish itself as one of the world's central countries."
General Secretary General noted, "It is an honor to receive the first state visit invitation since the new government was launched," and responded, "With the President's reputation and strategic vision, I am confident that you will create a new Miracle on the Han River in Korea's next development journey."
He continued, "Vietnam's foreign policy consistently values its relationship with Korea, and I hope that cooperation between our two countries will develop in a new, proactive, and collaborative manner, worthy of a comprehensive strategic partnership," adding, "I am ready to deeply discuss key directions with the leaders of the Korean government to solidify strategic trust and expand practical cooperation between our countries during this visit." He also requested President Lee's visit to Vietnam.
President Lee reiterated, "The scale of exchanges between the people of Vietnam and Korea reaches 5 million annually, and about 100,000 couples of Vietnamese and Korean nationals are married, making it a special relationship in that regard," describing it as "a country of in-laws."
He added, "I hope that both the Korean government and the Vietnamese government will show special consideration for the safety and free business activities of corporations from each country operating abroad," expressing his expectation that, "Through this visit, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Korea and Vietnam will newly develop to a higher level."
After concluding their statements, the two leaders moved to a closed-door meeting to discuss specific cooperation measures.