Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the office of the Honourary Consulate General of Vietnam in Busan on October 3 as part of his ongoing State visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK).

He lauded the efforts of Honorary Consul-General Park Soo Kwan in facilitating the growth of bilateral relations between Vietnam and the RoK through the implementation of numerous activities and initiatives.

The Consul-General acts as a bridge of partnership between the two nations, particularly in investment cooperation and cultural exchange, he said.

The Party leader noted that there is still scope to tighten bilateral ties, adding that during his visit the two sides agreed to further enhance their friendship and affiliation.

He also expressed his hope that Park Soo Kwan will continue to contribute to the development of the Vietnam-RoK relationship.

On his part, Park Soo Kwan said he is impressed by Vietnam’s rapid development, pledging that he will do his best to promote the Vietnam-RoK friendship and cooperation.

On the same day, the Party chief met with representatives of the RoK Association of People Loving Vietnam (VESAMO), where he spoke highly of the association’s diverse and practical measures to strengthen cultural exchange and contact between the two peoples.

He said he believes that after 12 years of effective operations, VESAMO will continue to expand its membership and contribute further to the friendship and partnership between the two countries.

VESAMO Chairman Park Kwang Joo said the association, whose members are from all parts of society, organises regular meetings and events to tighten the linkages between the two peoples.

Apart from holding events for Vietnamese guest workers and students in the RoK, the association also helped Vietnamese expats integrate into the host country’s society.

Later that day, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited Busan Newport, which is capable of handling 10,000 TEU vessels. The port is being transformed into a container terminal with the best services in Northeast Asia.

Within the framework of the Party leader’s visit, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen had a working session with her counterpart Lee Ki Kwon to discuss labour cooperation between the two sides.

In December last year, the two ministries inked a special agreement on resuming the sending of Vietnamese workers to the RoK. The deal recognises Vietnam’s efforts to reduce the number of workers that stay in the host country after their contracts expire.

The two ministers also agreed to continue working closely to realise their signed agreements, especially on labour safety and hygiene, vocational training, sustainable employment, and exchanging labour market information.

Minister Chuyen also visited Vietnamese workers at Pyeongsan Rubber and Technology Company.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan had a meeting with Busan Governor Suh Byung Soo to talk about the preparations for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the two cities’ partnership.

Currently, up to 80,000 RoK people live in Ho Chi Minh City, while 30,000 Vietnamese nationals reside in Busan and the surrounding areas.

The two cities cooperate in a number of areas, including culture, research, education, and humanitarian assistance.-VNA