South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak (right) receives Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo holds talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung speaks at the RoK-Vietnam Business Forum. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his South Korean counterpart Han Seung-soo witness the signing of the agreement on the exchange of prisoners. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to visit the Republic of Korea (RoK) and participate in the Summit marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-RoK partnership (from May 28 to June 2, 2009). His trip was taken place in the context when the comprehensive partnership relationship between Vietnam and RoK established in 2001 has finely developed. The event was of great significance, helping further boost the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam-RoK and ASEAN. Vietnam-RoK: Strategic cooperative partnership That was affirmed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo at the reception that took place in an open and sincere atmosphere. The two countries' "comprehensive partnership in the 21st century", which was established in 2001, needs to be developed to a new height and becomes a "strategic cooperative partnership". The two prime ministers exchanged their views and achieved a common awareness of further expanding cooperation between the two countries in various fields - politics, diplomacy, security, national defence, economics, tourism, culture, education and others. The two sides also agreed to further promote cooperation in regional and international forums, including the ASEAN+3, APEC and the United Nations, for peace, stability and development in Asia and all over the world. Before ending their talks, the two prime ministers signed a framework agreement (revised) on non-refundable aid, an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, a cooperation agreement on food security, a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the South Korean Ministry of Labour, a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese Government Office and the South Korean Ministry of Administration and Public Security on the development of an online Vietnamese Government database. During the trip, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and met with leaders of leading South Korean corporations. He also participated in the Vietnam-RoK Business Forum and witnessed the signing of cooperation contracts worth billions of UD dollars between the two countries' businesses. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung addresses the ASEAN-RoK Forum.  View of the Summit. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung signs the ASEAN-RoK Joint Statement.   Priorities made for co-ordination of actions, building a basic foundation for sustainable development Themed "Partnership for Real, Friendship for Good", the commemorative summit of the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-Republic of Korea on June 1st and 2nd, 2009 on Jeju Island (RoK) ended successfully. Addressing the Summit, South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak affirmed that his country has attached importance to boosting cooperation and hoped to widely expand it with ASEAN. The country also committed to support ASEAN in building its community and narrowing the development gap among ASEAN members, as well as supporting the main role of ASEAN in the regional forums such as ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). In this direction, South Korea initiatively proposed, and will actively implement the "New Asia Initiative" and the "New Initiative for Integration and Sustainable Development of ASEAN". The South Korean Government committed to supply ODA capital worth 400 million USD to ASEAN, welcome 7,000 ASEAN students to South Korea to study, and contribute 5 million USD to the ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Fund from now to 2010. Heads of the delegations pose for a photograph. On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam and ASEAN have attached great importance to boosting relations with the Republic of Korea at bilateral and multilateral levels. ASEAN and the RoK should strive to bring the ASEAN-RoK comprehensive cooperative partnership to a new height, further expanding cooperation more practically and effectively to bring practical benefits to both sides. Participants to the Summit discussed regional and international issues of mutual concerns including the global economic crisis, and energy and food security. Leaders of ASEAN and RoK signed the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-RoK Commemorative Summit, witnessed ministers of trade signing the ASEAN-RoK Trade Agreement and completing agreements on the establishment of the ASEAN-RoK Free Trade Area. Participants to the Summit issued a press release on the recent nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. They reiterated their support for a non-nuclear Korean Peninsular and six-party talks and said they hoped the ASEAN Regional Forum would further contribute to the progress. On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held meetings with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, Indonesian President Susilo Banbang Yudhoyono, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak. Compiled by Vuong Linh (from VNA source) - Photos: VNA