Visiting Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong suggested stronger bilateral cooperation on economics, tourism, culture and education in a meeting on October 3 with Suh Gyung-Soo, the Mayor of Busan, the second largest economic hub in the Southeast of the Republic of Korea (RoK).

He assured his host that Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular were ready to welcome Korean investors, especially those from Busan.

The 20 th anniversary of the friendship between Ho Chi Minh City and Busan next year marks a milestone in their joint development, the Party chief said, adding that their track record and exchange programmes would increase mutual understanding between the two people.

Suh, for his part, hailed the visit as a significant contribution to the Vietnam–RoK strategic cooperative partnership established in 2009.

In Seoul, Nguyen Phu Trong met with executives of several Korean businesses operating in Vietnam. He expressed his hope that RoK businesses expand their operations in Vietnam, offering to support them in any way possible. Some of the executives work for the CJ Group, which comprises numerous businesses in transport, agriculture, culture and communications. Others are employed by Charmvit, which focuses on aviation, energy and construction, and the Hyosung industrial group.-VNA