Prime Minister’s Japan visit hoped to create new investment wave

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of PM Phuc’s Japan trip, the diplomat said the leader’s visit and his attendance at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia hosted by Nikkei newspaper on June 5-6 are significant to the Vietnam-Japan relationship, both regionally and globally.

The Vietnamese PM has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the event’s opening session, which demonstrates that the organising board and Japan attach importance to the role and voice of Vietnam amidst the evolving world, Cuong said.

He added that it will also be a great opportunity for the Vietnamese Government leader to send out a message on a Vietnam that is active, proactive and responsible for regional and international peace, stability and development, and is integrating intensively into the world, helping open up new opportunities for cooperation with foreign partners and countries, including those from Japan.

PM Phuc will be accompanied by leaders of ministries, agencies, localities and major businesses, the diplomat said, noting that, the visit, therefore, is likely to create a momentum for the Vietnam-Japan relationship.

During the visit, the PM is scheduled to hold talks and meet with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Emperor Akihito, parliamentary leaders, several prefecture governors and representatives of big economic groups and small-and medium-sized enterprises, which reflect the great interest in Vietnam of not only the central and local administrations but also different circles and socio-economic organisations, according to the Ambassador.

He highlighted that enhancing the bilateral economic, trade and investment ties is a major purpose of PM Phuc’s visit.

The Government leader is set to have working sessions with many big Japanese groups in finance, banking, technology, manufacturing and computer, and visit headquarters and production facilities of companies and groups which want to invest in Vietnam in the time ahead.

The PM will meet with leaders of important economic organisations like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidaren) to discuss orientations for cooperation in official development assistance (ODA), trade and investment between the two countries.

Of note, he will attend the Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum themed “Looking towards a new era of Vietnam-Japan economic cooperation.” This is the biggest-ever business event between the two countries with the participation of about 1,500 delegates from 1,300 Japanese companies and over 100 Vietnamese businesses.

The forum’s scale has mirrored the attention of the Japanese Government and businesses to potential for cooperation, business and investment in Vietnam, the ambassador said.

At the forum, the PM will introduce Vietnam’s increasingly open and transparent business environment and efforts to build a growth-facilitating Government.

The ambassador also noted that Vietnamese and Japanese firms and localities are expected to sign many projects and contracts valued at tens of billions of US dollars during the PM’s visit.