S. Korea, Vietnam agree to upgrade bilateral ties

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and his
Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung agreed Friday to enhance their countries'
bilateral relationship while strengthening economic cooperation.

"The two prime ministers agreed to upgrade the relationship into a strategic,
cooperative partnership that will help promote peace and prosperity in the region
as they noted the need to elevate the 'comprehensive partnership for the 21st
century' forged between the countries in 2001," Han's office said.
The Vietnamese prime minister is on a visit to Seoul before the start of a
special summit between South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), to be held from Monday in the southern resort island of
Jeju.
"Prime Minister Han and Prime Minister Dung also agreed to strengthen the
countries' cooperation in trade, investment and the tourism industry while the
Vietnamese prime minister expressed hope for increased South Korean investments
in Vietnam's construction, energy and transportation industries," an official at
the South Korean prime minister's office said.
Dung is scheduled to meet South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday. The
Vietnamese prime minister heads the executive branch of the government while
President Nguyen Minh Triet serves as the head of state.
The special Korea-ASEAN summit next week commemorates the 20th anniversary of
establishing a dialogue partnership between the sides.
The two-day summit will be attended by all 10 member nations of ASEAN that also
include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand
and the Philippines.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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