SEOUL– North Korea on Thursday stressed the importance of its “comradely” and “strategic” ties with Vietnam as it marked the anniversary of a summit between their leaders about six decades earlier.
“The friendly and cooperative relations between North Korea and Vietnam have evolved into uniquely comradely and strategic ties of today,” the North’s foreign ministry said in a posting on its official website.
The ministry added that the relations between the two countries will reach the highest point in the future amid deep interest of their respective leaders and parties.
North Korea’s late state founder Kim Il-sung traveled to Vietnam in 1958 and 1964, and met Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh.
Current leader Kim Jong-un visited Vietnam in 2019 for his second summit with then U.S. President Donald Trump, becoming the first North Korean leader in 55 years to travel to the Southeast Asian country after his late grandfather.
North Korea’s renewed emphasis on its ties with Vietnam came after the country vowed to advance relations with socialist countries at a plenary party meeting in January.
In March, Kim sent verbal messages to the leaders of Cuba, Vietnam and Laos and called for stronger relations.
North Korea and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1950.
Source: Yonhap News Agency