PM Chinh outlines priorities for closer Vietnam-South Korea ties in policy speech

PM Chinh highlighted the significance both nations assign to education. He referenced a Korean proverb, "Education is a hundred-year plan," and emphasized that Vietnam considers education a top national priority.

He acknowledged South Korea's impressive achievements and continuous advancements, establishing itself as an indispensable part of the global economy.

Regarding global and regional situations, he observed that while peace prevails overall, local wars exist, overall harmony is coupled with local tensions and overall stability is punctuated by local conflicts.

He stressed that the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region and ASEAN are increasingly asserting their role as dynamic development centres and leading engines driving the world towards new growth and new development horizons.

He proposed promoting five 'priorities' to further develop the relationship with new methods, new thinking and new orientations.

These include prioritising strengthening the foundation of the relationship, increasing mutual understanding and political trust through regular high-level exchanges and effective implementation of high-level commitments and agreements; enhancing cooperation in diplomacy, defence and security; boosting trade and investment ties; making breakthroughs in culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges; enhancing ties in education and science-technology, technology transfer, and climate change response.

The two countries should also closely cooperate and support each other in multilateral mechanisms and forums at the United Nations, within the ASEAN-Korea and Mekong-Korea frameworks and continue to support and share a common vision on ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea).

The support should be based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and at the same time, Vietnam supports denuclearisation and the maintenances of peace and stability, cooperation and development on the Korean Peninsula.

He told the audience that it was the younger generation who are the future owners and pioneering force in national development and construction. Born and educated in the digital and globalisation era, they have the conditions and advantages to play an important role in deepening the Vietnam-South Korea relationship, contributing to the prosperity, happiness of the peoples of both countries and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.