RoK President hosts state banquet for Vietnamese Party chief

Party General Secretary To Lam said since Vietnam and the RoK established their diplomatic ties in 1992 and upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, they have enjoyed expanded collaboration, delivering tangible benefits to their peoples and businesses.

Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at the state banquet in Seoul on August 11. (Photo: VNA)
Party General Secretary To Lam speaks at the state banquet in Seoul on August 11. (Photo: VNA)

Seoul (VNA) – Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended a state dinner hosted by President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse on August 11.

President Lee extended a heartfelt welcome to the Vietnamese leader and his entourage, stressing that the state visit will help further strengthen the already sound ties between the two nations. He affirmed that alongside investment and trade, both sides have expanded their cooperation in infrastructure, science-technology, and human resources training, creating foundations for national development.

He acknowledged Vietnam's development vision of achieving upper-middle-income status with modern industrial base by 2030, and becoming a developed, high-income nation by 2045 - the centennial of Vietnam's founding. Having delivered on the “miracle on the Han River”, the RoK stands ready to share development experience with Vietnam, the leader said, highlighting it has supported the Southeast Asian country’s development and expressing his hope that both sides will work together to bolster the bilateral cooperation.

The President described the Korean – Vietnamese multicultural families as important bridges binding the two peoples and vowed to preserve the friendship and close collaboration between the two countries.

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President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse hosts a state dinner for Party General Secretary To Lam (second from right) and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly (first from left) on August 11. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief Lam, for his part, affirmed that his RoK trip aims at strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, expressing his impression on the dynamic development and significant achievements that the Korean people have carved out across all areas.

Since the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1992 and upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, they have enjoyed expanded collaboration, delivering tangible benefits to their peoples and businesses.

He underscored that the relationship is rooted in profound historical, cultural, and emotional bonds, noting the increasing flow of tourists between the countries and highlighted how Vietnamese sports fans have grown familiar with Korean coaches who have led Vietnamese athletes to regional and international success. Meanwhile, many Koreans have fallen in love with Vietnamese culture, particularly through its cuisine.

These cultural similarities, friendship, and political trust are common assets forming a solid foundation for the two countries' development journeys toward greater prosperity and happiness, he said, highlighting Vietnam supports the RoK’s development policies, treasures ties with the country, and looks forward to the RoK’s companionship in its new era – that of the nation’s rise./.

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Party General Secretary and President To Lam leaves Auckland on August 13 evening (local time), concluding a state visit to New Zealand. (Photo: VNA)

General Secretary and President To Lam concludes state visit to New Zealand

At the meetings during the visit, the two sides agreed to further strengthen political trust and advance bilateral relations comprehensively by stepping up high-level and all-level exchanges through Party, State, parliamentary and people-to-people channels, thereby making more effective use of existing policy dialogue mechanisms.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam (R) meets with Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee in Auckland on August 13 (Photo: VNA)

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Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee welcomed the state visit by the Vietnamese leader and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, stressing that it will further deepen the Vietnam–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across various fields, ushering bilateral ties into a new, more profound, substantive and effective phase.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon witness the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries on August 13, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at their talks in Auckland on August 13 (Photo: VNA)

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Welcoming General Secretary and President Lam and the Vietnamese delegation, New Zealand PM Luxon said the visit marked an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties after more than half a century. He affirmed Vietnam is an important partner of New Zealand and expressed his impression at the Southeast Asian country’s remarkable achievements, including its strong economic growth.

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