Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has spoken with his Vietnamese counterpart on the phone for the first time since taking office and the two exchanged views on ways to bolster bilateral relations, as well as on regional and global issues.

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, Cho expressed gratitude over Hanoi’s warm reception of President Lee Jae Myung’s special envoys.

The minister then proposed that the two countries actively seek high-level exchanges and communication and closely cooperate on regional and global issues.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, for his part, said his country considers South Korea a key partner that it can trust, and called for active development of the comprehensive strategic partnership in the areas of economy, science and technology.

The Vietnamese official wished South Korea success as the host of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, set to take place in Gyeongju in October.

He also suggested that they meet in person for talks on ways to advance bilateral ties.