President’s Japan visit to help develop multifaceted cooperation: official

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (Photo: VNA)

The official visit to Japan from November 27-30 by President Vo Van Thuong will help lift the bilateral ties to a new height through promoting more substantive and effective cooperation in all fields, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has said.

This is the first official visit to Japan by President Thuong, which is taking place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations (September 21, 1973 - 2023).

During this trip, Thuong is scheduled to meet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, hold talks with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, make a policy statement at the Japanese National Diet, and meet and discuss with National Diet leaders, representatives of political, economic, scientific and cultural associations, and visit Fukuoka prefecture.

According to Vu, the visit will contribute to consolidating political trust and enhancing close exchanges between high-ranking leaders of the two countries, and affirm that in its foreign policy, Vietnam continues to take Japan as a top and long-term partner, and wishes to work with the country to promote common interests for the development of each country as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

Cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is in the best stage in history, with great achievements gained in all fields, he said.

Japan is currently the largest ODA provider for Vietnam with about 30 billion USD, the second biggest labour cooperation partner, the third largest tourism and investment partner, and the fourth largest trade partner of the Southeast Asian nation.

The two countries have also promoted collaboration in new fields such as innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, green transformation, energy, and climate change response.

At international forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the United Nations, they always cooperate closely, support each other, and join hands to solve international and regional issues of common concern.

Based on close and extensive cooperation, the Deputy Foreign Minister expressed his hope that President Thuong’s visit will contribute to tightening the bilateral friendship, deepening political trust, and increasing contacts and exchanges between high-ranking leaders of the two countries, and leaders of Vietnamese departments, ministries, branches and localities and Japanese partners.

Vietnam hopes that the two countries will effectively implement a new-generation ODA programme; continue to promote cooperation in attracting Japanese ODA in the fields of infrastructure, climate change response, and human resources training; promote investment cooperation; maintain sustainable growth momentum of bilateral trade turnover; coordinate in improving the efficiency of economic agreements between the two parties; and strengthen labour collaboration and human resources training, especially high-quality human resources./.