The President of the Committee of State Affairs of the People”s Democratic Republic of Korea (PDRK), Kim Jong-un, ends today an official and friendly visit to Vietnam strengthening ties between both countries.
The North Korea leadee met the eve with Vietnam president and secretary general of the Communist Party,
Nguyen Phu Trong; prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and the head of the National Assembly, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
In each meeting, Kim expressed the desire to ‘normalize cooperation and exchanges in economy, science, technology, sports, culture and art’, to respond to common interest of ‘raising bilateral ties to a new level’.
The also president of Korea’s Workers Party (KWP), recalled that ‘friendly relations between both countries and parties are based on the blood’ and reiterated ‘the unbreakable position’ of Pyongyang to ‘leave that legacy to new generations’.
Vietnamese authorities warmly received Kim’s declarations.
This visit marks an important moment in the history of relations between both Parties and States, assured president Phu Trong at the beginning of official talks between both.
The meeting between both leaders occurred the day after the summit between the North Korean leader and U.S. president, Donald Trump, which ended without agreemenrts due to Washington’s negative to lift even part of the sanctions imposed on the Asian nation.
In talks with Kim, president Phu Trong recognized North Korea’s big achievements and expressed his conviction that under the leadership of the KWP that country would continue to harvest achievements in the construction of socialism.
Among the agreements reached by both parts, there is the increase of high-level visits and the exchange of delegations through Party, State and mass organization channels.
Also, the strengthening mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation, including the political consultations at deputy ministers’ level and actions of the Intergovernment Committee of Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, as well as new collaboration possibilities in areas of mutual interest.
Although his meeting with Trump ended without agreement, the tuning of links between Pyongyang and Hanoi more than justify the long trip by train made by Kim to Vietnam.
His last activities here will be to place wreaths before the Monument to the Heroes and Martyrs of the War and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
This is the first time in 55 years that a top leader of the PDRK visits Vietnam. In October, 1964, the founder of that Republic, Kim Il Sung, made the first visit.