Vientiane, Nov. 30 (VNA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai called on the Republic of Korea to facilitate the entry of ASEAN goods into its market, at the ASEAN+RoK summit in Vientiane Tuesday morning.

At the summit, which was attended by leaders of the 10 ASEAN  members and RoK President Roh Moo Hyun, the PM also asked the RoK to grant Viet Nam, Laos, and Myanmar the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) as early as possible, while appealing to RoK companies to invest more in these countries.

PM Khai expressed gratitude for the RoK's support for Viet Nam's bid to join the World Trade Organisation, as well as his hope for the RoK's continued asisstance to Viet Nam, Laos, and Myanmar in information technology and infrastructure development.

The PM said ASEAN's policy to develop comprehensive ties with the three Northeastern Asian countries coincides with the RoK's look-South efforts. He welcomed the results of working-level ASEAN-RoK meetings on economic and trade cooperation, including the agreement to launch in 2005 negotiations on an ASEAN-RoK Free Trade Area.

Khai was optimistic that the signing of an ASEAN-RoK joint declaration on comprehensive partnership at this summit will lay the groundwork for further increasing their cooperation and open up new directions for long-term and multi-faceted relations.

The Vietnamese PM stressed that like other ASEAN countries, Viet Nam desires peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and an acceleration of six-party talks to seek solutions for the nuclear issue, thus contributing to easing the tension in the area and strengthening peace and stability in the region and the world at large.  He welcomed the RoK's joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-RoK dialogue relationship, describing it as a contribution to regional peace and stability.