Receiving the guest, To Lam described Ishiba’s visit as meaningful as it coincided with Vietnam’s solemn celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. He affirmed that the visit holds great significance, opening a new phase in the development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

He outlined strategies to reform Vietnam’s economic model for rapid and sustainable growth in a new era of national advancement, including creating breakthroughs in science and technology and streamlining the political apparatus.

On foreign policy, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development, multilateralization, and diversification of external relations, while affirming that Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important and long-term strategic partners.

Ishiba, for his part, congratulated Vietnam on its recent socio-economic achievements. He praised Vietnam’s proactive and positive initiatives amid complex international and regional developments, the success of Vietnam’s institutional reforms under the leadership of General Secretary To Lam, and Vietnam’s transition to a new era of development focused on economic growth and scientific and technological advancement.

He expressed confidence that Vietnam would achieve even greater successes in the future and affirmed Japan’s willingness to accompany Vietnam on its development path.

Highlighting the over 1,300-year history of exchanges between the two nations, To Lam noted that Vietnam - Japan relations have continued to flourish across all fields, characterised by strong political trust. Since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, there have been vibrant high-level exchanges and dynamic cooperation in various sectors, including the economy, human resources, labour, education and training, and emerging areas such as green transition and digital transformation, along with deepening local-level, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.

The top Vietnamese leader proposed that the two countries continuously enhance political trust, consolidating substantive and effective security-defence cooperation, and promote economic cooperation based on science, technology, and high-quality human resources.

He also encouraged Japan’s active participation in Vietnam’s major infrastructure projects through new-generation ODA funding.

Emphasising that science, technology, and innovation should become new pillars of bilateral relations, the Party leader proposed boosting cooperation in these fields, including digital transformation and human resources training.

He urged both sides to explore new cooperation potential in labour, green transition, energy transition, and high-tech agriculture, and to deepen local cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Meanwhile, Ishiba affirmed that Vietnam is an indispensable partner for Japan, stressing that Japan will continue to support Vietnam in building an independent and self-reliant economy, pursuing industrialisation and modernisation, and achieving its strategic goals and socio-economic development plans in the new era.

He pledged close coordination to further develop the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including strengthening party-to-party relations between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.

Ishiba also underscored the need to deepen bilateral economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in ODA, investment, security-defence, cybersecurity, peacekeeping, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, while advancing collaboration in emerging fields such as digital transformation, innovation, quantum technology, and semiconductors.

He agreed to support high-quality human resources training in Japan and at the Vietnam-Japan University, a symbol of bilateral cooperation. He also reaffirmed continued support and facilitation for the more than 600,000 Vietnamese living, studying, and working in Japan.

Japan will send a delegation to participate in the World Police Band Concert to be organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, he said.

At the meeting, both sides exchanged views and agreed to coordinate closely at regional and international forums such as the United Nations and ASEAN, amid rapid and complex global developments, to contribute practically to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the rest of the world.

On this occasion, To Lam extended a cordial invitation to the Emperor and Empress of Japan to visit Vietnam. Ishiba, in return, warmly invited the Party leader and his spouse to visit Japan in the near future.

Japanese PM Shiregu Ishiba begins Vietnam visit

VOV.VN - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his spouse arrived in Hanoi on April 27, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse.