Kim Dae-jung Holds Talks With Vietnam LeaderSouth Korean President Kim Dae-jung and visiting Vietnamese head of state Tran Duc Luong held a summit meeting at the Presidential Office of Chongwadae early Thursday. The two leaders shook hands on cooperation in the information-technology and construction sectors as well as on holding annual meetings between the foreign ministers of both sides.During the talks, President Luong urged Korea to actively participate in Vietnam's energy development including petroleum, while President Kim asked the Vietnamese leader to help Korea enter its mobile telecommunications market. President Kim expressed his condolences for Korea having inflicted pain on the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War, although unintentionally. Also, he promised to continue supporting the development of Vietnam, injecting $19.60 million of EDCF into the solid waste treatment business. The two presidents also agreed that a second summit between the two Koreas is crucial in achieving an environment of peace on the peninsula. Kim also attended the "Korea-Vietnam Petroleum Development Success-Wishing Ceremony" and said that the joint development of a huge oil field by Korea and Vietnam is the result of economic cooperation between the two countries. He said that he will increase financial aid to resource development projects both at home and abroad, with the goal of raising Korea's independent oil development rate to 10% by the year 2010. Luong, the first head of state of Communist Vietnam to visit South Korea since the two countries normalized their ties in 1992, is here on a three-day trip. The two leaders are scheduled to meet again at a state dinner where they'll exchange opinions on ways to carry out their agreements. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |