President Troung Tan Sang of Vietnam will make a state visit to Korea from November 8 to 10, at the invitation of President Lee Myung-bak, according to an announcement from Cheong Wa Dae on November 1.

At a bilateral summit set for November 8, President Lee Myung-bak and his Vietnamese counterpart will review the achievements of the Korea-Vietnam alliance and discuss a wide range of issues concerning the expansion of the scope of bilateral cooperation in regards to the economy, diplomacy, security, energy, resources, and development assistance. The two presidents are also expected to exchange views on further strengthening cooperative measures in the international arena.

President Sang’s itinerary will include a visit to Korea’s industrial facilities as well as meetings with business leaders to encourage Korean investment in Vietnam.

President Sang will become the second Vietnamese president to visit Korea after President Tran Duc Luong, -- who paid a state visit in August 2001 -- since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two nations.

The Vietnamese presidential visit is expected to reaffirm the alliance of the two countries who had previously agreed to upgrade their relationship to a “strategic cooperative partnership” during President Lee’s visit to Hanoi in October 2009, said a spokesman at Cheong Wa Dae.

By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer