Vietnamese, Japanese Prime Ministers hold talks

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Photo: VNA)

PM Phuc congratulated Japanese people on the great event of Emperor Naruhito’s ascension to the throne and the successful organisation of the 14th G20 Summit in Osaka.

He affirmed that Vietnam always considers Japan an important, long-term and reliable partner.

For his part, PM Abe highly valued Vietnam’s position, role and external achievements over the past time, as well as its initiatives and active contributions to the G20 Summit.

He described the over 330,000-strong overseas Vietnamese community in Japan as an “invaluable mutual property” of the two countries’ relations.

PM Phuc asked the Japanese Government to create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese expatriates to live, study and work in the host society.

The two PMs expressed their pleasure at the growing ties between Vietnam and Japan, illustrated by the signing of a series of cooperation agreements in the fields of health care, education, human resources development, and finance before their talks.

They agreed to reinforce the bilateral political trust by maintaining high-level visits.

PM Phuc invited his Japanese counterpart to visit Vietnam and attend the ASEAN Summit in 2020 when Vietnam will play the role of the ASEAN Chair. PM Abe accepted the invitation with pleasure.

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in defence, security and coordination within the ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus).

Regarding trade, investment and economic cooperation, the PMs welcomed the two sides to agree on procedures allowing the imports of Vietnamese lychees and Japanese apples.

Vietnam proposed Japan consider the early imports of Vietnamese longans, star apples, and passion fruits while supporting Vietnam to improve the quality of farm produce and develop high-tech agriculture. The Japanese side asked Vietnam to allow the imports of Japanese oranges.

The two nations agreed to continue working together to implement effectively Japan’s official development assistance (ODA)-funded projects in Vietnam and promote bilateral cooperation under the public-private-partnership (PPP) form.

PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam will double its efforts to create a more transparent, open and favourable investment environment.

The two PMs also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in building a basic legal framework to implement the specific labour skills training programme.

They advocated the signing of an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons, and agreed to push negotiations for the agreement on mutual legal assistance on criminal matters and strengthen health cooperation through the Asian Health Initiative.

PM Abe affirmed that Japan will actively support Vietnam in training officials and improving vocational training as well as increasing competitiveness and labour productivity, reforming administrative procedures, building e-government to look towards digital government, economy and society, and coping with climate change.

He congratulated Vietnam on its non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 with high votes.

The two sides agreed to enhance coordination at regional and international forums and promote relations between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong River region.

They agreed to jointly implement effectively the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and boost the conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The two leaders also exchanged about regional and international issues of mutual concerns, including the East Sea matter.

Before the talks, PM Phuc and PM Abe witnessed the signing of six documents, including the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons; and the diplomatic note between the two governments on providing non-refundable aid packages for the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS).

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and Japan’s Office of Healthcare Policy under the Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also signed a MoU on cooperation.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and Japan’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and National Police Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on the “specific skilled workers” programme.

The MoLISA and the National Institute of Technology KOSEN inked a MoU to continue with cooperation activities to implement the KOSEN training models in Vietnam.

The two government leaders also witnessed the exchange of a contract for renewable energy projects between the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).