HANOI, April 4 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korean Prime Minister Lee Han
Dong will pay an official visit to Vietnam on April 7-11, 2002,
Vietnamese spokswoman Phan Thuy Thanh announced at a regular press
conference here on Thursday.
   During the visit, Lee Han Dong is scheduled to hold talks with
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and other Vietnamese party
and state leaders, Thanh said.
   This will be the second visit made by a South Korean prime
minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations
in December 1992, she noted.
   The Vietnamese spokeswoman stressed that Vietnam highly values
the visit by South Korean Prime Minister Lee Han Dong and belives
that the visit will make contribution to further promoting the
increasingly developing friendship and cooperation between the two
countries.
   At present, South Korea is the fourth largest partner of
Vietnam in investment and trade, Thanh said.
   Speaking of the issue of the Korean peninsula, the Vietnamese
spokeswoman said that peace and stability on the Korean peninsula
are closely connected with peace and stability in the northeast
Asia and the Pacific in general.
   "We always want peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,
and will support a peaceful solution to the issue on the Korean
peninsula through dialogue and advocate the aspiration for peace
and national unity of people on the Korean peninsula", she said.
   "We will do our utmost to contribute to consolidating and
promoting peace, stability and cooperation on the Korean peninsula
", Thanh stressed.  Enditem