Japan values Vietnam’s international role and position

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and met with Speaker of the House of Representatives Hiroyuki Hosoda, and President of the House of Councillors Akico Santo. He also met with President of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Tosihiro Nikai, Secretary General Tosimitsu Motegi of the Liberal Democratic Party, Minister of Foreign Affairs Iosimasa Haiasi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda, as well as the governors of Kanagawa and Gunma Prefectures, and leaders of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

At these meeting, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh reaffirmed Vietnam always considers Japan as an extensive, reliable and important strategic partner. He hoped that the two sides would continue to well implement important agreements and common perceptions reached during the official visits by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, thus creating a premise for further promoting bilateral relations.

As Japan and Vietnam are well controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and rebooting their economies, he suggested the two sides maintain the exchange of high-level delegations, and expected Japanese leaders would encourage Japanese businesses to increase investment in Vietnam.

He also proposed that Japan create more favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Japan, promote local cooperation, cultural exchanges, people-to-people diplomacy, and coordinate in organizing activities to celebrate 50 years of bilateral diplomacy in 2023.

The Japanese leaders spoke highly of Vietnam’s increasingly important position and role in the region and the world at large, and at the same time appreciated the important contributions of the Vietnamese community to the development of Japan.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recalled good impression of his recent visit to Vietnam, and affirmed that he would promote the implementation of the results of mutual visits by the two countries’ Prime Ministers.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Hiroyuki Hosoda and President of the House of Councilors Akico Santo stated that they would strengthen exchanges between the two parliaments, and look forward to enhancing coordination at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. They voiced their support for the Japanese Government in ramping up comprehensive and extensive cooperation with Vietnam.

Foreign Minister Iosimasa Haiasi and Economy Minister Koichi Hagiuda during their meetings with Depputy PM Pham Binh Minh highly valued Vietnam’s efforts in building an open and transparent investment environment, fulfilling its commitment to investors, and drastically handling difficulties of Japanese businesses.

They voiced Japan’s willingness to exchange experience and knowledge about its industrialization success for application in Vietnam. They also agreed with the Vietnamese side’s proposal to expand cooperation in the fields of technology innovation, supply chain assurance, digital transformation, and climate change adaptation, while speeding up procedures for the opening of its market for Vietnamese longans and soon restoring normal travel of citizens of the two countries.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two sides agreed to strengthen close coordination at international and regional forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, the Mekong River Commission, as well as in implementing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Meeting with JICA leaders, Minh was assured that JICA will continue to work closely with relevant Vietnamese agencies to remove obstacles in ODA projects, and expand ODA supply to Vietnam in the coming time, especially new generation ODA.

They revealed that more Japanese business delegations will make fact-finding tours of Vietnam in the coming time to explore cooperation and investment opportunities.