S. Korea, Vietnam agree in summit to deepen their strategic ties

By Lee Chi-dong

NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of South Korea and Vietnam agreed during their summit talks here Tuesday to make joint efforts for another "take-off" in bilateral relations, as the two sides mark the 30th anniversary next year of establishing diplomatic ties.

President Moon Jae-in met with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session.

It marked their first face-to-face talks since Phuc was sworn in as president in April.

Moon and Phuc agreed that the two nations are "optimal partners," having deepened their cooperation in various fields including politics, economics and people-to-people exchanges.

They agreed to "make joint efforts for bilateral relations to take off once again on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of their countries' diplomatic relations next year," Cheong Wa Dae said.

In 2009, the countries upgraded their relationship to a "strategic cooperative partnership."

The leaders also agreed to continue cooperation for overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and economic recovery.

Moon, in particular, requested Vietnam's support for the safety and protection of South Korean people and businesses in the Southeast Asian country.

They talked about the security conditions of the Korean Peninsula and Myanmar and agreed on close partnerships, according to Moon's office.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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