The RoK PM made the statement during the March 29 meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung in Seoul. He highlighted Mr Dung’s visit to the RoK, as the two countries are celebrating the 20^th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

PM Kim said the RoK will work closely with Vietnam to balance bilateral trade in which the latter suffers from an import surplus.

Both PMs agreed to foster cooperation and deepen relations in all fields including politics, diplomacy, national security and defence, economics, trade, investment, labour, science-technology, culture, education, and sports, in the spirit of strategic partnership.

Vietnam and the RoK will work together to celebrate the Vietnam-RoK Friendship Year 2012 to consolidate the friendship and cooperation between the two nations, they said.

Host and guest also agreed to create favourable conditions for their respective overseas communities to integrate into their new societies, especially for Vietnamese brides in the RoK.

After the meeting, PM Dung and PM Kim witnessed the signing of a loan agreement for a solar energy project in Quang Binh and the Long Xuyen Waste Water Treatment System between the Vietnamese Finance Ministry and the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and a Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnamese Finance Ministry and the RoK Financial Supervisory Commission.