Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 25 met with Mayor of Busan Oh Keo-don as part of his visit to the Korean city for the ASEAN-Republic of Korea (RoK) Commemorative Summit.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Mayor of Busan Oh Keo-don
(Photo: VGP).

During the meeting, Mayor Oh Keo-don said the administration and people of his city wish to promote ties with ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, adding that Busan desires to intensify cooperation and exchange with Vietnamese cities and provinces, particularly Ho Chi Minh City and wants more businesses from Busan to invest in Vietnam.

PM Phuc hailed the Busan Mayor’s wish for stronger ties with Vietnamese localities. As the Busan-Keangnam region is home to a large number of Vietnamese people, the PM asked the mayor, the government and people of Busan to continue supporting them in contributing to the city’s socio-economic development as well as to the two nations’ friendship.

He affirmed the Vietnamese government’s willingness to offer the best possible conditions for Korean citizens to live and work in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese cabinet leader called on Busan and Vietnamese localities to launch more cross- cultural and people-to-people exchanges in order to deepen the bilateral ties.

He also highlighted the two countries’ huge potential for stronger economic cooperation, especially in trade and investment. Bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated to stand at US$80 billion this year and is expected to reach US$100 billion next year. The RoK’s trade with Vietnam has always constituted half of that with ASEAN for years, Phuc noted.

He also asked the administration of Busan to facilitate the launch of a direct flight to Da Nang city in central Vietnam.

Later the same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the Port of Busan, the RoK’s largest and the world’s second largest container port which handles 75% of the country’s total container cargo.