President Triet made the statament while receiving a delegation of the Japan International Friendship Exchange Committee (FEC) led by Muto Takayoshi in Hanoi on March 12.

President Triet expressed his delight at the increasingly enhanced relations between Vietnam and Japan over the past years through visit exchanges between the two countries’ high-ranking leaders as well as between their agencies, organizations and associations.

Notably, the visit to Japan last October by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the reciprocal visit to Vietnam one month later by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have helped bring bilateral relations to a strategic level, contributing to development and prosperity in the region and the world.

Regarding economic cooperation, President Nguyen Minh Triet stressed that the Vietnamese State and Government are building a more favourable environment to attract foreign investors, particularly those from Japan. He affirmed that Vietnam is interested in Japanese-invested projects in the country and wants Japan to continue to invest in traffic projects, including the North-South highway and the North-South railway networks.

President Triet also highlighted Vietnam’s outstanding achievements after more than 20 years of implementing the Doi Moi (renewal) and regional and international economic integration process, with Vietnam’s joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) a vivid example. He emphasized that the 10^th National Party Congress reviewed the achievements of the Doi Moi process and affirmed that Vietnam is determined to embark on the Renewal process to lift the country out of the under-developed nation status and basically become an industrialized country by 2020.

Mr Takayoshi highly appreciated Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and expressed his strong belief in Vietnam’s sustainable development. He affirmed FEC’s determination to boost relations with Vietnam.