On June 11, 2024, at MoHA Headquarters, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra received Mr. Choi Youngsam, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to Viet Nam, and his delegation for a working session with the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra (R) welcoming Mr. Choi Youngsam to MoHA of Viet Nam.
Also present at the meeting were Mr. Vu Dang Minh, Chief of the Office of MoHA; Mr. Chu Tuan Tu, General Director of the Department of International Cooperation, and Mr. Hoang Quoc Long, General Director of the Department of Youth Affairs.
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra and RoK Ambassador Choi Youngsam.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra welcomed Mr. Choi Youngsam and his delegation to MoHA of Viet Nam, and affirmed that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, the cooperation between Viet Nam and RoK has made remarkable progress characterized by: 1) Increasing political trust; 2) More substantial and in-depth cooperation across various fields; 3) Deepening mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of both countries.
In 2022, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This cooperation framework not only accurately reflects the relations between the two countries over each period but also provides a crucial political foundation and legal basis for deepening bilateral cooperation.
The Minister emphasized that over the years, MoHA of Viet Nam has maintained a good relationship with South Korean partners across various fields of state management. In particular, the cooperation with South Korea in archival activities; training public officials; and youth affairs have yielded many practical results. Additionally, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has maintained a close relationship with the Ministry’s units. Based on the “Viet Nam-South Korea Joint Statement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” agreed upon by the governments of Viet Nam and South Korea in December 2022, MoHA has issued a plan titled “Enhancing Cooperation with South Korean Partners until 2030.” Accordingly, in July 2024, MoHA will organize an official visit to RoK led by the Minister. During this visit, MoHA of Viet Nam and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of RoK will hold bilateral talks and sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for 2024-2029; exchange and share experiences on local governance in South Korea; and visit and work with several agencies and local governments in South Korea.
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra expressed her hope that the RoK Ambassador to Viet Nam would continue to support and further strengthen the cooperative relationship between the Vietnamese MoHA and various South Korean agencies and organizations. She emphasized the need for consistent and diverse forms of cooperation between training institutions under MoHA and South Korean partners. This support is vital for the professional development of public leaders and managers and enhancing the capacities of Vietnamese officials and lecturers.
Regarding cooperation in training specifically for archival officials, the Ministry of Home Affairs hopes to receive support from relevant South Korean agencies to facilitate exchanges between the archival institutions of both countries. These exchanges would involve sharing archival practices, with a particular focus on RoK providing Viet Nam with expertise, techniques, and funding for implementing electronic document management and electronic archives management to meet the requirements of building an e-government and digital government.
An overview of the meeting.
During the meeting, Ambassador Choi Youngsam expressed his gratitude to Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra for her time and reaffirmed his desire to further enhance the cooperative relationship between Viet Nam and RoK, building on the foundation of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Ambassador Choi Youngsam assured that he would make greater efforts to promote cooperation between Viet Nam and South Korean partners, supporting Viet Nam in advancing e-government, civil service reform, training, and capacity building for public officials and other areas of mutual interest.
Ambassador Choi Youngsam also mentioned that the RoK Minister of the Interior and Safety is eagerly anticipating the upcoming visit of the Vietnamese Minister of Home Affairs to RoK. He stated that the Korean Embassy in Viet Nam would closely coordinate with the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs to meticulously prepare for Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra’s visit and ensure its success.
