The Vietnam-Korea Joint Statement was adopted within the framework of the State visit of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the invitation of President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol from December 4 to 6, 2022.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the press conference in the afternoon of December 5 - Photo: VGP

VnEconomy  is pleased to introduce the full text of the Vietnam-Korea Joint Statement on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

At the invitation of President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid a state visit to the Republic of Korea from December 4 to 6, 2022.

During the visit, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and held meetings with senior leaders of the Republic of Korea. The two countries' senior leaders highly appreciated the rapid and effective development of the relationship between the two countries over the past 30 years, especially since the establishment of the "Strategic Cooperation Partnership" in 2009, exchanging in-depth opinions. on the direction of developing relations in the coming time and on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

This visit to Korea by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc takes place in the context that the two countries Vietnam and South Korea are celebrating the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (December 12, 1992 - December 12, 2022). With confidence in the good future of the two countries' relations, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to issue a Joint Statement on upgrading relations between the two countries.

Vietnam and Korea to the level of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership", agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the following specific directions:

THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM - KOREA RELATIONS

1. The two sides highly appreciated the substantive, strong and comprehensive development of bilateral relations after 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, especially after establishing the strategic cooperative partnership in 2009, affirming that Vietnam and Korea are each other's leading and important partners in all fields; agreed to continue working closely to bring benefits to the two peoples and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

The Korean side affirmed the importance of Vietnam in the implementation of the Global Key National Initiative, the Indo-Pacific Strategy of Freedom, Peace, Prosperity and the ASEAN-Korea Solidarity Initiative of Korea. Vietnam welcomes Korea to become a global country, promoting its important role in the region and in the world.

2. The two countries' senior leaders agreed that exchanges and contacts between the two countries' senior leaders have been actively conducted in recent years, not only reinforcing political trust between the two countries; but also make a great contribution to promoting cooperative relations in the fields of trade, investment, development cooperation, culture and tourism, promoting friendly exchanges between the two peoples; strengthen cooperation in international and regional forums and in issues of mutual concern.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol presided over the welcoming ceremony for President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the afternoon of December 5 - Photo: VGP

3. On the basis of achievements in the development of relations over the past 30 years, in order to consolidate the foundation of mutually beneficial cooperative relations, the two sides agreed to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development of the region and the world. On the occasion of the State visit to the Republic of Korea by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the two countries' senior leaders announced the upgrade of the two countries' relations to the level of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership", through which the two countries make joint efforts to develop cooperation in fields to new heights.

4. In particular, the senior leaders of the two countries highly appreciated the establishment and active operation of the Vietnam - Korea Group of prestigious personalities on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the completion of the report with various proposals on the development of future-oriented relations between the two countries.

INCREASE COOPERATION OF POLITICS, DIPLOMACY, DEFENSE AND SECURITY

5. The two sides agreed to further promote visits and exchanges between the two countries' senior leaders through flexible and diverse forms such as bilateral visits, meetings at multilateral conferences, online meetings, mail/email exchange.

The two countries' senior leaders affirmed the strengthening and deepening of exchange and dialogue mechanisms between agencies of the Central Government and local governments, between the National Assembly, political parties and organizations and social classes of the two countries play a very important role in promoting the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries; decided to expand and further develop the mechanism of dialogue and cooperation between the parties.

6. The two sides welcomed the signing of a new cooperation agreement between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, promoting substantive cooperation fields; agreed to continue to support and cooperate for the smooth operation of diplomatic and consular missions of the two countries. The two countries' senior leaders agreed to consider ways to improve efficiency and develop a strategic dialogue mechanism for diplomacy, security and defense at the deputy foreign minister level with the participation of the ministries of Foreign affairs, Defence and National Police on both sides.

7. The two sides agreed to continue strengthening defense cooperation, effectively implementing cooperation mechanisms; strengthen the exchange of delegations including the Deputy Ministerial Defense Strategic Dialogue, maritime security cooperation, technology cooperation; and step up cooperation in the fields of defense industry, education and training, through which contributes to deepening the relationship and common cooperation between the two countries, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and in the world.

8. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and police, and continue to effectively implement cooperation, dialogue and exchange mechanisms between agencies of the Government.

Leaders of the two countries also agreed to strengthen information sharing, coordinate assessment and forecast on strategic issues related to the interests and national security of the two countries; expand and enrich the contents of security and police cooperation, especially in crime prevention, training cooperation, capacity building and law enforcement; strengthen the exchange of delegations at all levels, thereby helping to strengthen the cooperation relationship between the two sides to go deeper, more substantive and more effective.

On the other hand, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the field of peacekeeping; step up coordination in propagating and disseminating the laws of the host country to citizens of the two countries to minimize law violations; expand and deepen economic, trade, investment and development cooperation

9. The two sides agreed to promote stable growth of bilateral trade in the direction of balance, maintaining their position as each other's leading trading partners, and strive to increase two-way trade turnover to reach USD 100 billion by 2023, aiming to reach 150 billion USD by 2030; agreed to contribute to the expansion of economic linkages and rules-based free trade in the region through the removal of import regulations and strengthening cooperation in the area of ​​tariffs, including the exchange of electronic certification of goods origin on the basis of the Mutual Customs Agreement to effectively implement bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam - Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), the Agreement on ASEAN-Korea Trade in Goods (AKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

10. The two sides agreed to strengthen investment cooperation, share information and experience in formulating mechanisms, policies and laws to promote investment activities for start-ups and innovation; promote cooperation in forums and multilateral economic linkage mechanisms.

Vietnam wishes Korean businesses make new investments and expand their investment scale in the fields of electronics, renewable energy, infrastructure development, tourism, construction of specialized complexes, zones industry - high quality agriculture, green industrial park, smart city; support Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in the global supply chain.

Korea affirms that the development of the financial and banking sector is an essential factor for the comprehensive development of the economy, and asked Vietnam to actively support Korean financial institutions to enter Vietnam. South, thereby supporting the expansion of investment of Korean enterprises into Vietnam. The Vietnamese side acknowledges and will actively consider this issue.

11. The Vietnamese side highly appreciates the Korean Government's development aid which has made an important contribution to Vietnam's socio-economic development; wishes Korea to further expand its refundable and non-refundable aid to Vietnam..

The Korean side affirmed that it continues to consider Vietnam a key partner in development cooperation of the Republic of Korea, and said it will strengthen cooperation in key areas of cooperation between the two countries such as public administration, including public administration. e-government and education, water management, sanitation and health, and transport and will continue to effectively implement the Financial Cooperation Agreement and the Framework Agreement on Fund Credits (EDCF).

The Senior Leaders of the two countries welcomed the signing of a framework for refundable aid cooperation between the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the Ministry of Planning and Finance of the Republic of Korea in the fields of transport, health and coping with climate change. In particular, they agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in the fields of high-speed railways, light railways and subways.

COOPERATION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE, ENERGY

12. The two countries' senior leaders shared the importance of maintaining cooperation for the sake of sustainable management of natural resources, including sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, and greenhouse gas emission reduction, climate change adaptation, green transition and transboundary water resource management; sustainable management, conservation and protection of forest resources.

The two countries' senior leaders highly appreciated the signing of the Cooperation Framework Agreement on Climate Change and the Joint Plan of Cooperation on Climate Change towards carbon neutrality by 2050 between the two Governments in 2021, especially cooperation to accomplish strategic tasks to adapt to climate change.

The senior leaders of the two countries agreed to continue strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the forestry sector, such as the mangrove restoration project in Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh areas and through the Asia Forest Cooperation Organization. (AFOCO).

13. Leaders of the two countries affirmed the importance of the agricultural sector in the national economy; agreed to expand development cooperation in agriculture and rural areas through capacity building in agriculture and rural areas; research and share experiences on improving the business environment of enterprises operating in the fields of food and agriculture; study, exchange experiences, establish high-tech agricultural cooperation, smart agriculture.

14. The two sides highly appreciated the participation of Korean enterprises in promoting the development of Vietnam's energy industry; agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as cooperation in oil and gas exploration and production, power plant construction, cooperation in safety and energy saving.

The Korean side asked the Vietnamese side to support so that the power projects in Vietnam that Korean enterprises are promoting to participate in can be implemented smoothly; the Vietnamese side agreed to actively consider this content.

COOPERATION ON SCIENCE AND TECNOLOGY, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

15. The two sides affirmed the role and importance of science and technology in the socio-economic development of each country, and agreed to promote cooperation in science and technology in line with the sustainabe development strategy of each country and the new international economic environment, especially the industrial revolution 4.0 and response to climate change.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in research on climate technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology; especially cooperation in research on climate change response technology and source technology of the industrial revolution 4.0. The two countries' senior leaders agreed to make joint efforts so that the VKIST Institute, a symbol of science and technology cooperation between the two countries, can operate successfully. The Korean side confirmed that it will continue to support the operation of VKIST in the near future.

16. The two sides shared the realization that in the digital context that has changed the socio-economic structure and has a great impact on the daily life of mankind, digital technology must contribute to promoting the freedom, peace and prosperity of the two countries.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed to promote cooperation in information and communication in line with each country's sustainable development strategy and the new international economic environment, promote cooperation on establishing a new digital order. digital transformation, information technology, information safety and security, digital platform; cooperation in investment in production and technology transfer in the field of information technology.

LABOR, HEALTH AND EDUCATION COOPERATION

17. The two countries' senior leaders assessed that labor cooperation has brought practical benefits to both sides; agreed to expand fields and new forms of labor cooperation. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen coordination and support for Vietnamese workers  in Korea can work safely and healthily while complying with the laws of the two countries, including regarding the length of stay. The Korean side commits to improve working and living conditions as well as protecting the rights and interests of Vietnamese workers. The Vietnamese side commits to create favorable conditions in simplifying procedures for residence registration and work permits for Korean workers in Vietnam.

18. The leaders of the two countries welcomed the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of health and medicine by the Ministry of Health of the two sides; agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of health, especially disease control and prevention, cooperation on the application of information technology in the field of disease prevention and control, medicine, and vaccines, medical equipment, food safety, dealing with population aging, health care as well as human resource training, high skills for staff of the Ministry of Health.

The Korean side suggested that the Vietnamese side when amending the regulations, including the regulations on bidding, would consider the policy in order to have more Korean medical equipment used in Vietnam, and said that it will actively support the construction of a Center for Disease Control in Vietnam at the request of the Vietnamese side.

19. Senior leaders of the two countries assessed that educational cooperation over the past time has contributed to promoting cooperation in the cultural and social fields between the two countries. The two countries' senior leaders agreed to continue expanding educational cooperation, and the two countries' ministries of Education will periodically organize an effective Vietnam-Korea Human Resource Forum.

Korea decided to support the compilation of Korean language teaching textbooks for high schools in Vietnam.

 COOPERATION ON INFRASTRUCTUREAND AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

20. Leaders of the two countries agreed to step up cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure construction and urban development in Vietnam. Vietnam welcomed Korean businesses to invest in transport infrastructure in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP).

Korea agreed to continue supporting Vietnam in areas of mutual interest such as traffic, urban planning, architecture, housing, urban development, and technical infrastructure.

COOPERATION ON CULTURE, TOURISM AND PEOPLE’S EXCHANGE

21. Senior leaders of the two sides assessed that cultural, sports and tourism exchanges between the two countries have played an important role in enhancing understanding and friendship between the two peoples; agreed to strengthen and create a favorable environment for people-to-people exchanges, cultural cooperation and public diplomacy between the two countries.

The two countries' senior leaders also agreed to step up cooperation between the two countries' research institutions, including conducting exchange visits of researchers from the two countries. Vietnam is considering establishing a Vietnamese Cultural Center in Korea, and the Korean side has agreed to actively cooperate on this.

22. The leaders of the two countries agreed to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges, especially efforts to expand cooperation in tourism as well as strengthen tourism exchanges between the two countries. The two countries' senior leaders agreed to pay much attention and support to the communities of the two countries to stabilize their lives, study and work in each country as well as protect their legitimate interests.

The two countries' senior leaders agreed to work together so that future generations of multicultural families can play a more active role in youth exchanges between the two countries. The Korean side affirmed that it will increase interest and support for multicultural Vietnamese - Korean families.

The Vietnamese side affirmed that it will continue to pay attention to and support the development of the Korean community in Vietnam. In addition, the two countries' senior leaders agreed to make efforts to soon put the signed Vietnam-Korea Social Insurance Agreement into practice in order to reduce the economic burden on the people of the two countries and speed up the exchange process. between the relevant agencies of the two countries to sign an administrative agreement to facilitate the implementation of the Agreement.

REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

23. The two countries' senior leaders agreed to work closely to respond to global challenges, non-traditional security issues, energy security, food security, economic security, and so on. cooperation in marine environment protection; At the same time, they agreed to strengthen common response capacity to emergency situations, continue to coordinate positions on international issues of common concern and interests.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo on the afternoon of December 5 - Photo: TXVN

The two countries' senior leaders agreed to closely coordinate in international and regional forums and mechanisms in which the two sides participate and are of common concern, such as the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (UN) and the World Trade Organization. WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Korea, Mekong - Korea Cooperation and Mekong cooperation mechanisms which Korea as a partner, Asia-Europe Cooperation Forum (ASEM), Partnership Summit for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G), Southeast Asia Program (SEARP) of the Cooperation Development Organization economic (OECD)...

The Korean side introduced the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN-Korea Solidarity Initiative of the Korean Government, emphasizing that Vietnam is one of the most important partners in the implementation process. next; The Vietnamese side welcomes this. The Korean side asked Vietnam to support Korea in hosting the Busan 2030 World Expo with the theme of "great transformation of the world, towards a brighter future", the Vietnamese side said it would consider positively. this problem. Korea said it will actively support Vietnam to host the Partnership Summit for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) by 2025.

24. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of solidarity and the central role of ASEAN, and agreed to closely coordinate to promote the role of regional mechanisms, contributing to promoting socio-economic recovery behind Covid-19, sustainable growth, green development and strengthening international links.

Vietnam welcomed and appreciated Korea's substantive and effective contributions and is willing to work closely to promote sustainable and self-resilient development of the Greater Mekong Subregion through two cooperation frameworks. ASEAN - Korea and Mekong - Korea.

25. The leaders of the two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; especially affirming the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two countries' senior leaders asked relevant parties to exercise restraint and not take unilateral actions to militarize, change the status quo or complicate the situation in the East Sea; effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), emphasizing the importance of early reaching an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) accordance with international law, especially with UNCLOS.

26. The two countries' senior leaders reiterated their common stance on the Korean Peninsula issue stated in the 23rd ASEAN-ROK Presidential Statement; agreed that the development of nuclear weapons threatens the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, East Asia and the world.

The two sides called on the DPRK to strictly fulfill its international obligations and commitments, including relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the September 19 Declaration; at the same time, affirming the importance of efforts of the international community to fully implement relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The Vietnamese side welcomed and supported the Korean Government's efforts to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, including the Reckles Initiative.

27. The two sides shared concerns about the situation in Myanmar and wished that the situation in Myanmar would soon return to stability for the benefit of the people of Myanmar, and for peace and stability in the region. The Korean side expressed its willingness to continue coordinating with ASEAN countries in promoting finding solutions to stabilize the situation, end violence, dialogue between the parties in Myanmar, and support the effective implementation. ASEAN's "five-point consensus".

The Vietnamese side thanked South Korea for supporting ASEAN's efforts in solving the Myanmar issue, including humanitarian aid.

28. Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding including Annexes were signed in the presence of the Senior Leaders of the two countries.

29. The two countries' senior leaders agreed that the State visit to Korea by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was a great success, making an important contribution to strengthening and further developing the friendship and cooperation relationship between the two countries, contributing to peace, stability and prosperous development of the region and the world.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc sincerely thanked South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the warm and respectful welcome to the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during the State visit to Korea and cordially invited the President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife visit Vietnam as soon as possible. President Yoon Suk Yeol sincerely thanked and happily accepted.

APPENDIX OF SIGNING DOCUMENTS

Government Agreement:

1. Protocol amending the Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Republic of Korea on cooperation and mutual assistance in the field of customs.

2. Note exchanged between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Republic of Korea to implement the principle of cumulative origin under the Free Trade Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam South and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Memorandum of Understanding between Agencies:

1. Cooperation framework between the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea on the use of official development aid from Korea within the framework of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and the Economic Development Promotion Fund (EDPF).

2. Memorandum of Understanding on promoting cooperation on the basis of the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" relationship between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

3. Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea for the period 2023-2025.

4. Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in mining essential minerals between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea.

5. Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in electricity industry and clean energy between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea.

6. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea on cooperation in the field of health care

7. Memorandum of Understanding on traditional and information technology cooperation between the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications of the Republic of Korea./.