President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday that he intends to strengthen security cooperation with Vietnam so that a rules-based order can take firm root in the Indo-Pacific region.

The president made the remarks in an interview with the state-run Vietnam National Agency titled “Vietnam, South Korea open new chapter of bilateral cooperation” ahead of his three-day state visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Yoon reportedly said that South Korea will also continue to cooperate with Vietnam in maritime security, adding that he hopes bilateral cooperation in the defense industry will be further expanded based on his country’s technological prowess, which has been proven in the global market.

The president stressed that Seoul will continue future-oriented cooperation with Hanoi to ensure that the two nations can prosper together.

He also said that a new grant aid project will be announced on the occasion of his state visit to help Vietnam bolster its ability to conduct research in the fields of science and technology.

The president departed from France on Wednesday afternoon, bound for his first bilateral visit to a Southeast Asian country since taking office last year.

On Friday, Yoon will hold a summit with Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng to discuss ways to expand and develop bilateral relations, which were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as meet with Communist Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng.