President Phuc urges RoK localities to expand scale, diversify investment in Vietnam

Seoul (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked leaders of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Gyeonggi province to encourage local enterprises to expand their scale and diversify investment and business in Vietnam, especially in the fields of information technology, construction and development of satellite urban areas, commercial and logistics centres, and smart city development.

He made the suggestion on December 6 during his working trip to Gyeonggi province, which is just one hour drive from RoK’s capital of Seoul, as part of his state visit to the East Asian country.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his pleasure at visiting Gwangju city - the second hometown of about 3,000 Vietnamese people who have received much attention and support from the local government. There are 37,000 Vietnamese living in Gyeonggi province.

The President hoped that the Governor of Gyeonggi province and Mayor of Gwangju city will continue to provide favourable conditions and effective support for Vietnamese people living there, especially Vietnamese brides.

Gyeonggi is twinned with Ho Chi Minh City and Nghe An province. It has multiple cooperation deals in the fields of labour, handicrafts and ceramics with localities and enterprises of Vietnam.

President Phuc said that Vietnam also has many localities and enterprises with long-standing reputations in the ceramics industry and their products are exported around the world, adding that this is the foundation for Gyeonggi to promote cooperation in the coming time.

The two sides can also strengthen collaboration in the fields of labour, education and training and tourism - one of Vietnam's strengths, he said.

He suggested the province share experiences with Vietnamese localities in administrative management, development planning for tourism, coordination on building tourism products and implementing joint tourism promotions.

The Vietnamese leader also attended a ceremony to announce Vietnam Day of Gwangju, visit the Vietnamese cultural space in the city and attend an art programme to celebrate 30 years of diplomacy between Vietnam and the RoK.

The President said that the organisation of Vietnam Day in Gwangju city on December 6 every year will enable the peoples of the two countries to have a better understanding of each other and open up new opportunities for cooperation and exchange between people and businesses.

On the evening of the same day, Phuc and his entourage left Gyeonggi province and travelled to Seoul Military Airport to return to Vietnam, ending their state visit to the RoK./.