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| Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Binh and former United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Photo: VNA |
The visit is significantly important
as it takes place on the 25th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic
relations.
At the reception for the President
of the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association Chue Yeng Chu on December 20,
Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh spoke highly of the association’s role and
contribution to the development of the two countries’ ties. He asked the
association to continue implementing more activities, such as sending
delegations to Vietnam
to increase cooperation, supporting promotion of economic and trade
cooperation, strengthening friendship among people of the two countries, and
practically assisting the Vietnamese community in the RoK, especially ensuring
the interests of Vietnamese brides in the RoK and helping them integrate into
the RoK society.
At the reception for two honorary
consuls at Busan-Kiangnam and Kwangchu-Chonnam, Minh expressed his hopes that
they would continue cooperating closely with the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK
to actively implement more practical activities in consul work, protection of
citizens, and promotion of economic cooperation between the two countries in
general and among localities of the two countries in particular.
Receiving former United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Minh highly appreciated his contributions in the
capacity of the RoK’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the UN Secretary-General,
contributing remarkably to the two countries’ relations, addressing many global
challenges such as environment, climate change, poverty reduction and hunger
eradication, including his role in promoting the UN’s assistance to Vietnam in
implementing UN Millennium Development Goals, responding to climate change, and
the UN’s Delivering as One initiative in Vietnam.
Mr. Ban Ki-moon highly valued Vietnam’s achievements in its renewal,
peacekeeping, and Vietnam’s
role and influence in ASEAN, APEC, and the UN, etc. He also congratulated Vietnam for successfully hosting the APEC 2017
and said that he was willing to support Vietnam to develop its ties with
the RoK and integrate into the world.
The same day, Minh granted a
certificate of merit to Mr. Kim Boctong, Chairman of the People’s Council of
Jongno district, Seoul,
for his active and effective contributions to consolidating and developing the
two countries’ ties.
The Deputy PM also
visited the Vietnamese Embassy and its staff and representatives of the Vietnamese
community in the RoK on December 20.
Translated by Nam Long