PM Chinh meets presidents of International Friendship Exchange Council and JICA
VOV.VN - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a working breakfast with Ken Matsuzawa, president of the International Friendship Exchange Council (FEC) of Japan, and its members in Tokyo on December 18 as part of his activities during his trip to the Far East country to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.
The Vietnamese cabinet leader hailed the FEC's interest in the nation, as well as its practical substantial and effective contributions to the development of bilateral relations.
The upgrading of mutual relations to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” as announced during a recent official visit to Japan by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong opened up a new chapter in the friendship and co-operation between both sides, with a forward-looking vision towards the next 50 years based on trust and sincerity, he stressed.
Reviewing the bilateral relationship over the past five decades, PM Chinh said ties have been upgraded and expanded in terms of scope and scale with a deeper understanding.
He mentioned measures which seek to further enhance the bilateral relations, as well as the two side’s developmental orientations, saying that he hoped Matsuzawa and the FEC, with their reputable prestige, will actively contribute to fostering ties.
PM Chinh suggested the FEC continue to launched a broad array of activities aimed at deepening mutual understanding, offering support for economic co-operation, fostering both cultural and people-to-people exchanges, whilst actively supporting Vietnamese people residing, studying, and working in Japan.
He also called on the FEC to provide support for the nation in areas of finance, science - technology, human resources training, and management science. This is along with improving institutions, mechanisms, and policies, thereby contributing to relations and to the causes of peace, friendship, collaboration, and development in Asia and the world.
For his part, Matsuzawa noted that over recent times the Vietnamese side has emerged as a nation playing a significant role and holding a crucial position in politics, economics, and diplomacy in the region and the wider world, duly garnering attention from the international community.
He applauded the flourishing development and important achievements of mutual relations over the last five decades since they established diplomatic ties, saying that the two countries share the common goal of national building and development, contributing to peace, friendship, co-operation, and development in Asia and the wider world.
Matsuzawa expressed confidence that PM Chinh’s trip to Japan will be a success, making remarkable contributions to bilateral relations in the time ahead.
The FEC’s members said that, apart from intensifying people-to-people exchanges and establishing both local- and ministerial-level relations with the Vietnamese side, the Japanese business community is interested in investing and expanding investment in the country. Indeed, there is a specific focus on the fields of construction, industry, energy, finance, science - technology, food production, healthcare, and education - training. They went on to express their desire to diversify the global supply chains through collaboration with the nation.
The same day saw PM Chinh receive Tanaka Akihiko, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), during which he noted his appreciation for the significant contributions made by the agency, as well as its president in implementing official development assistance (ODA) projects in Vietnam over recent times, adding that the Vietnamese Government and its people always strive to use ODA loans both strictly and effectively.
He thanked JICA for effectively co-ordinating with the country in implementing procedures for a new-generation ODA loan worth JPY50 billion, equal to over US$351.5 million, contributing to elevating the ODA value between the two countries to over US$100 billion for the first time since 2017.
ODA co-operation is an important content of economic links between the two sides, he stressed, suggesting JICA work to co-ordinate more closely with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to concretize the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World”, with specific programmes, projects, and effective roadmaps.
He called for new-generation ODA loans for the nation to help develop strategic infrastructure projects, especially large-scale transport infrastructure projects such as railways, highways, seaports, and air routes. This is along with new sectors such as digital transformation, green transition, semiconductor industry, and innovation.
Akihiko expressed his joy that during PM Chinh's trip to Japan, additional ODA co-operation agreements between the two countries have been signed.
He therefore consented to proposals made by the Vietnamese leader, affirming that JICA will work hand in hand with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to carry out co-operation based on the priorities mentioned by the PM. He added his hope that the Vietnamese side will continue its collaboration to jointly deal with obstacles that may arise during the implementation of specific projects.
