The Heads of state of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea agreed to elevate the two countries’ “Comprehensive Partnership in the 21st Century” to a “Strategic Cooperative Partnership”, for the sake of their two peoples, as well as peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his RoK counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, reached the agreement during their talks in Hanoi on October 21 following a red-carpet welcome ceremony dedicated to the visiting RoK President.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the wide-ranging and effective development in the two countries’ ties under the framework of the “Comprehensive Partnership in the 21st Century”.

In raising the status of their relationship to “Strategic Cooperative Partnership”, the two presidents shared the view that visits and contacts between high-ranking Government and State leaders should be stepped up, as well as those between their senior officials at all levels of government.

They gave the nod on the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism at the level of deputy foreign minister to help deepen bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders pointed to the need to beef up bilateral cooperation in not only the economy, trade, investment, and development cooperation, but also in science and technology, the environment, culture and education.

They have set out to raise the two-way trade value to 20 billion USD by 2015, to further improve bilateral trade balance, and to consider the elevation of the project to develop areas along the Hong (Red) river banks into a national-scale project.

On this occasion, President Triet delivered thanks to the RoK for recognising Vietnam as a market economy and regarding the country as a key partner in development cooperation, describing those moves as positive contributions to the cause of Vietnam ’s economic development.

The heads of state expressed their satisfaction with the close coordination and collaboration between the two countries at international forums and within regional cooperation mechanisms.

President Triet lauded the RoK’s growing role at international forums and congratulated the East Asian country on its assumption of the Chair of the G-20 Summit in 2010.

He pledged that Vietnam will lend full support to the RoK in its organisation of a high-level forum on the effectiveness of aid in 2011 and the Yeo-su International Expo in 2012.

The RoK President, for his part, roundly praised Vietnam’s positive and constructive contributions to the maintenance of peace and stability in the world during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

He also highlighted the role being played by Vietnam in Southeast Asia and affirmed his country’s pledge to work with Vietnam while it fulfils its duties as ASEAN President and organises the East Asia Economic Forum’s Conference in 2010.

The RoK leader said his country supports and will cooperate with Vietnam in making the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in 2010 a success.

During the talks, President Triet reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance of supporting peace, stability, dialogue and cooperation on the Korean peninsula.

He delivered the country’s appreciation of RoK efforts to settle the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula peacefully.

The two leaders, on the occasion, called on the concerned parties to soon resume talks and strictly abide by agreed commitments to denuclearise the peninsula.

The RoK President invited President Triet to visit his country at a convenient time and the Vietnamese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

The two leaders later met with Vietnamese and foreign reporters to brief them on the outcome of the talks.

Earlier on the day, RoK President Lee laid flowers in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum.

President Triet and his wife hosted a state banquet in honour of the visiting RoK President, his wife and entourage later the same day.