National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (right) meets with President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung. Photo: VNA

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man welcomed the signing of important cooperation documents during President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung's ongoing state visit to Vietnam, affirming that the Vietnamese legislature will support and oversee the implementation.

At a meeting with President Lee in Hanoi on April 23, Chairman Man said the visit, taking place shortly after Vietnam’s 16th-tenure legislature completed leadership consolidation, reflected the special importance the RoK side attaches to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam.

President Lee, for his part, said he was impressed by Vietnam’s strong development since his last visit 13 years ago, and praised the role of the Vietnamese NA and its leadership in helping steer the country into one of the region’s fastest-growing economies.

He emphasised that bilateral economic cooperation has made an important contribution to each country’s development, reaffirming the RoK’s wish to accompany Vietnam in realising its strategic goals — becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle-income by 2030, and realising its vision of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

Noting that historical and cultural similarities provide a strong foundation for deeper ties, President Lee said the RoK seeks to expand comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, spanning infrastructure, transport, energy and future-oriented sectors such as science and technology, intellectual property, artificial intelligence and cultural industries. He also invited Chairman Man to visit the RoK at an early date.

Highlighting the flourishing development in the bilateral ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1992, the top Vietnamese legislator said the two countries possess significant potential and complementary advantages in key areas for cooperation in the coming period. He proposed stronger cooperation in semiconductors and strategic supply chains, AI, renewable and clean energy, digital transformation, biotechnology and smart infrastructure.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to maintaining a transparent legal environment for foreign investors, including Korean firms seeking long-term and stable operations in the Southeast Asian country. He also welcomed expanding cultural and sports cooperation, including in e-sports, as a means of strengthening people-to-people ties.

President Lee expressed his support for the host’s proposals and hoped that the Vietnamese NA would create more favourable conditions for Korean businesses to invest in Vietnam in a stable, long-term way.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation, the two sides hailed close ties between the two legislatures as an important pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They agreed to deepen cooperation between the two legislatures by maintaining high-level delegation exchanges and meetings between specialised committees, while increasing activities of the two countries’ friendship parliamentarians’ groups.

The two sides also underscored the role of parliamentary cooperation in reinforcing political trust, promoting sustainable economic cooperation and unlocking opportunities in investment and technology for mutual benefit.

Discussing people-to-people ties, President Lee appreciated the important contributions of the Vietnamese community in the RoK and agreed to continue protecting their legitimate rights and interests. He said the RoK will consider measures to simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens and proposed the Vietnamese NA assist and create favourable conditions for the Korean community and enterprises in Vietnam./.