Minister Kang Kyung-hwa's Official Visit to Vietnam on 17-18th... Focused Talks on 'Fast Track'

June 18 Korea-Vietnam Foreign Ministers Meeting...Vietnam Prime Minister Also Pays Courtesy Call

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will make an official one-night, two-day visit to Vietnam, one of South Korea's major trading partners. Through this face-to-face diplomacy in Vietnam, Minister Kang plans to discuss cooperation measures such as the introduction of the 'fast track' system, which simplifies entry procedures for businesspeople from both countries.

Before departing from Incheon International Airport on the 17th, Minister Kang told reporters regarding questions about the introduction of the fast track system with Vietnam, "We need to have focused consultations, but there are still many adjustments to be made," adding, "The quarantine measures required by the Vietnamese government and the quarantine measures we consider necessary have not yet reached an agreement."

Regarding flight operations between South Korea and Vietnam, she said, "Measures to further activate human exchanges are also one of the important agenda items," and added, "Vietnam is a key country in the New Southern Policy, and since there is a lot of human exchange, it is meaningful to be the first to visit Vietnam among ASEAN countries."

Invited by Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister Kang will officially visit Vietnam and hold a Korea-Vietnam Foreign Ministers' meeting to discuss in depth △ cooperation in response to COVID-19, △ directions for developing the Korea-Vietnam strategic cooperative partnership, △ major bilateral and multilateral issues, and △ regional and international situations. She will also pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Meanwhile, this visit marks Minister Kang's first to Vietnam in two years and six months since March 2018. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she is the first foreign minister to officially visit Vietnam, following Germany as her second overseas trip.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.