Hanoi (VNA) - State President Luong Cuong on June 12 held phone talks with President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae-myung, who officially took office on June 4.

On behalf of the State and people of Vietnam, President Cuong congratulated Lee on his election as the 21st President of the RoK. He also conveyed congratulations from Party General Secretary To Lam and other Vietnamese leaders to the Korean President.

President Cuong appreciated the attention President Lee has paid to relations with the Asian region and emphasised that this early phone talks reflects the importance he attaches to relations with Vietnam.

Vietnam supports the RoK’s development policies and believes that under President Lee’s leadership, the East Asian nation will continue to prosper, its people will enjoy greater happiness, and the country’s international role and position will be further enhanced, thereby contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his delight at the achievements in Vietnam–RoK relations over more than 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, especially since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He affirmed Vietnam’s consistent position of valuing its relationship with the East Asian nation and expressed the desire to work closely with President Lee to promote a substantive, effective, comprehensive, and long-term development of the bilateral ties in the coming time.

For his part, President Lee expressed his sincere thanks to Party General Secretary To Lam and President Cuong for their congratulatory messages following the announcement of the presidential election results. He affirmed that the Korean Government always regards Vietnam as a key partner in the region and looks forward to working closely to further strengthen and deepen the bilateral relationship.

The Korean President praised Vietnam’s recent socio-economic development achievements and expressed his hope to work together for the shared prosperity of both countries. He also proposed Vietnam continue to create favourable conditions for Korean businesses to invest and expand their operations in Vietnam in the coming period.

The two leaders agreed on major directions to further deepen the Vietnam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including continuing to maintain and promote the exchange of high-level and all-level delegations; expanding cooperation in defence, security, and the fight against transnational crime; and working closely to implement concrete actions in economic, trade, and investment cooperation to address current global challenges.

♛ They also highlighted the importance of making science, technology, and innovation cooperation, particularly in high-tech industries, a key pillar for advancing the bilateral ties; strengthening coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, including jointly ensuring the success of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2025 in the RoK and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam in 2027, as well as co-chairing the Mekong–RoK Cooperation mechanism./.