PM meets with Vietnamese deputy PM, discusses ways to bolster cooperation

Minh said that relations between Vietnam and South Korea have moved rapidly forward in various areas in a short period of time and that the country is satisfied with the close strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries, the office said.

The Vietnamese minister also expressed gratitude for South Korea's official development aid as well as financial support that Seoul provided last month to help the country cope with the aftermath of a massive typhoon, the office said.

Minh also promised to create a better investment environment for South Korean firms, it said.

He also talked about other priority issues for Vietnam, such as trade imbalances and its hope for expanding exports of agricultural and fisheries products to South Korea as well as a project to rebuild the country's embassy building in Seoul, the office said.

Noting that South Korea is well aware of Vietnamese leaders' hope for national development, Lee said that South Korea will expand official development aid to the country and share information and communications technologies and other high-tech skills.

With regard to trade, Lee told Minh that expanding trade is as much important as addressing imbalances. He also said that South Korean firms operating in Vietnam are working hard to use locally produced parts in order to address trade imbalances.

Minh wished the PyeongChang Olympics success and invited Lee to visit the country, the office said. (Yonhap)