Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un walked out of the Dong Dang station after his arrival in Vietnam on February 26 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The official friendshipvisit to Vietnam by Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the StateAffairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) KimJong-un is expected to set a historic milestone in relations between the twocountries.
The trip, made at the invitation of GeneralSecretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee andPresident of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, comes 60 years after the first visit toVietnam by then leader of the DPRK Kim Il-sung in 1958 and is ahead of the 70thfounding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (January 31) in 2020.
The bilateral relations, founded and fostered byPresident Ho Chi Minh and leader Kim Il-sung, have been increasingly strengthenedover the last seven decades, as seen through mutual visits, with more than 50delegations at ministerial level and above.
From July 8-12, 1957, then President of VietnamHo Chi Minh paid the first official visit to the DPRK.
More than one year later, Premier Kim Il-sungmade a visit to Vietnam from November 28 to December 2, 1958. Many Vietnamesepeople took to the streets to welcome the DPRK leader. During this visit, thetwo countries issued a joint statement and signed a trade agreement.
The DPRK leader returned for another trip toVietnam in 1964.
Since the late 2000s, diplomatic ties betweenthe two countries have been considerably strengthened with trips to the DPRK byCPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in 2007 and by Minister of Public SecurityLe Hong Anh in 2008, along with visits to Vietnam by Chairman of the Presidiumof the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK Kim Yong-nam in 2001 and PremierKim Yong-il in 2007.
A highlight in bilateral relations is theVietnam-DPRK Friendship Kindergarten in Hanoi and the Vietnam-DPRK FriendshipKyongsang Kindergarten in Pyongyang. The construction and facilities of theHanoi school were supported by the DPRK.
Vietnam offered the DPRK 100 tonnes of rice aidin 1995 and another 13,000 tonnes in 1997. From 2000 to 2012, it supported theDPRK with 22,700 tonnes of rice, 5 tonnes of material rubber, and 50,000 USD inemergency aid. It offered 70,000 USD in flood relief to the North Asian nationin 2016.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the DPRK helped to givetraining to hundreds of Vietnamese students. At present, its EducationCommission and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training are promotingthe signing of an educational cooperation agreement.
Meanwhile, since 2013, Vietnam has sent artstroupes every two years to attend the April spring arts festival in Pyongyang.
Shortly after arriving in Hanoi for the secondsummit with the US on February 26, Chairman Kim Jong-un visited the DPRKEmbassy and urged the embassy’s staff to work harder to promote the cooperationand friendship between the two parties and states.
Over the past few years, the two countries haveheld rotational policy discussions at the deputy foreign ministerial level andmeetings of the Inter-Governmental Committee for economic, scientific, andtechnical cooperation.
Many important deals have been inked, includingagreements on cultural cooperation, scientific-technical cooperation, trade andnavigation, healthcare and civil air transport cooperation.
In 2002, the two sides signed agreements on seatransport, trade, mutual legal assistance, investment promotion and protection,and double-taxation avoidance.
During a visit to Vietnam in November 2018, DPRKForeign Minister Ri Yong-ho emphasised the DPRK Party and Government’sconsistent stance of treasuring and fostering the traditional friendship withVietnam. The DPRK side also agreed to coordinate with Vietnam to considersuitable measures for reinforcing bilateral ties.
During the visit, the two sides also agreed tokeep working closely at international and regional forums like the UnitedNations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, as well as to increasethe exchange of views on issues of common concern.
Most recently, from February 12 to 14,Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh paid anofficial visit to the DPRK. He affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance todeveloping the time-tested friendship with the party, government, and people ofthe DPRK.
Aside from the bilateral friendship, the twocountries’ economic links have also continually been strengthened, althoughthey remain modest.
Bilateral trade reached 8 million USD in 2014and 11.6 million USD in 2015. Vietnam’s exports to the DPRK were estimated at2.99 million USD in 2016, 7.32 million USD in 2017, and 497,000 USD in thefirst nine months of 2018.
This latest official visit to Vietnam byChairman Kim Jong-un aims to step up cooperation between the two parties andcountries in line with each country’s interests, laws, and internationalcommitments and thereby contributing to regional peace, cooperation, anddevelopment. –VNA
VNA
