PM: Vietnam treasures strategic partnership with Japan

ABO/VNA – Vietnam treasures its strategic partnership with Japan and considers Japan an important and long-term partner, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) presents a souvenir to Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (Photo: VNA).

PM Phuc made the remark while receiving Fumio Kishida, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, in Hanoi on May 4.

The PM stressed that since its inception 45 years ago, Vietnam-Japan relations have recorded comprehensive, strong and practical growth in all fields, while political trust between the two nations stays at high level.

He thanked Kishida for his contributions to the bilateral ties when he worked as Foreign Minister and Secretary-General of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, expecting that Kishida will continue his support to the bilateral cooperation.

For his part, the Japanese official said he was happy to see that Japan has become a leading foreign investor in Vietnam again with a record number of over 1,700 businesses investing in the Southeast Asian country.

Praising Vietnam’s economic growth of 6.81 percent last year, he said Japan wants to contribute to the country’s infrastructure development, including urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Japanese companies are very interested in the Vietnamese market, Kishida said, adding that Vietnam and Japan should strengthen their cooperation in regional and international matters.

PM Phuc said the room for bilateral collaboration remains large, suggesting the countries enhance political trust by increasing the exchange of delegations, particularly high-level delegations, and deepening ties between their parties and parliaments.

He suggested the two sides coordinate in organizing activities to celebrate the 45th founding of diplomatic ties in 2018, and increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges between their localities to boost mutual understanding.

Having thanked Japan for its effective support to the Vietnamese economy via its official development assistance (ODA), PM Phuc said Vietnam attaches importance to the funds and spares no efforts to carry out its ODA commitments with Japan.

He went on to say that Vietnam wants to continue using Japanese ODA in building major infrastructure projects and training human resources in response to climate change.

The government leader hoped that Japan will maintain its position as the top foreign investor, and invest more in the local supporting industry, new energy,  processing industry, and high-tech agriculture.

The PM recommended the two countries push up bilateral trade, and asked the Japanese side to assist Vietnam in improving the quality of goods and logistics services, and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese fruits and aquatic products to enter the Japanese market.

PM Phuc and Kishida also spent time discussing the maintenance of security, peace and stability in the region.

(Source: VNA)