President Roh Moo-hyun will return home on Tuesday after wrapping up his nine-day trip to India and Vietnam.

During his stay in Hanoi, Roh stressed the need for a peaceful resolution to North Korea's nuclear impasse when he attended the Asia-Europe Meeting forum and met with leaders of China, the European Union and Germany on the sidelines of the international conference.

He also said that isolating the Stalinist state wouldn't help resolve the North's nuclear issue.

During his state visit to India and Vietnam, Roh underlined the need to strengthen economic cooperation in the fields of energy, resources, information and technology and the construction of infrastructure. He also asked for the two countries' active cooperation in facilitating the participation of South Korean firms in major local economic projects.

Earlier on Monday, Roh visited South Korean firms operating in Ho Chi Minh City and paid tribute to the companies' successful achievements, saying such performances were greatly contributing to Vietnamese society.