North Korea’s top legislative official held an official meeting with Vietnam’s foreign minister on Friday. Jo Yong-won, chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly, met Le Hoai Trung in Pyongyang. Trung is visiting North Korea as Vietnamese President To Lam’s special envoy. The Korean Central News Agency reported this official meeting on Saturday. It noted that the talks took place in a friendly atmosphere.
The KCNA dispatch did not offer details of the discussions. Nevertheless both sides attended at a high level. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang-gil joined the official meeting. Vietnamese Ambassador Le Ba Vinh also participated. Jo is a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He ranks among the most influential officials in Pyongyang.
Trung arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday. He met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui the next day. His visit builds on an October summit between Kim and Lam. That summit marked the first trip by a Vietnamese top leader to North Korea in 18 years. Consequently this official meeting follows a pattern of revived high-level exchanges. Both sides appear eager to expand diplomatic cooperation after a long hiatus. The Vietnamese special envoy will likely return home with new engagement pledges. North Korea values its relationship with Vietnam as a fellow socialist state. Vietnam sees North Korea as a strategic partner in Northeast Asia. The recent momentum suggests a gradual thaw in bilateral relations.
