The Vietnamese PM made the statement on Wednesday when hosting a meeting with the visiting President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea.

PM Dũng showed his pleasure at the talks and Joint Statement reached by President Nguyễn Minh Triết and President Lee Myung-bak under which the Việt Nam-RoK relationship will lifted to a strategic partnership. He stressed that this will be an important milestone marking the flourishing bilateral relations at a heights.

The Vietnamese Government chief stated that the Government of Việt Nam will create best conditions for the RoK to become a leading investor here, expecting that a free trade agreement will be signed by the two countries soon in order to double the two-way trade turnover to US $20 billion in 2015.

PM Dũng also asked the RoK to help Việt Nam upgrade transport infrastructure; open vocational schools for Vietnamese employees working in Korean enterprises; and promote cultural exchange activities to raise mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

President Lee Myung-bak showed his agreement with PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng’s suggestions.

He asserted that his enterprises always consider Việt Nam a promising cooperation and investment destination and expected that the Government of Việt Nam will back their long-term business activities here.

President Lee Myung-bak also hoped that Việt Nam and the RoK enhance dialogues and cooperation on bilateral and multilateral forums for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

By Xuân Hoàng