Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (Photo: VNA)PM Chinh highly valuedSuga’s choosing Vietnam as the destination for his first trip abroad in October2020 right after he took office as the PM of Japan, as well as his role as theadvisor to the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance.
He thanked theGovernment, people, businesses and organisations of Japan for their cooperationand assistance as well as engagement in Vietnam’s development.
The leader affirmed thatVietnam always supports Japan’s role and positive contributions to peace anddevelopment in the region and the world, expressing his hope that Japan willcontinue such contributions.
He also lauded theefforts and directions Suga made when he led the Cabinet of Japan,which helped the country successfully control the COVID-19 pandemic, recover and boostsocio-economic development, and enhance the position and prestige of Japan inthe region and the world.
PM Chinh took thisoccasion to thank the former Japanese PM, the Government and people of Japanfor providing Vietnam with more than 7.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines,contributing to helping Vietnam overcome the most difficult time in the fightagainst the pandemic and achieve positive results in socio-economic developmentin 2022.
Both sides agreed thatthe Vietnam-Japan relationship is on its prime time with high politicalefficiency and regular delegation exchanges even during the COVID-19 time.
Last year, Vietnameseand Japanese PM had four meetings, while progress was seen in many agreements.The two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of theirdiplomatic relations in 2023, which is an important milestone marking a newdevelopment period of their intensive strategic partnership, they said.
PM Chinh said he hopesformer PM Suga will continue his support and contributions to the growthof the Vietnam-Japan ties. He said that the two sides should increase theexchange of delegations this year, while strengthening defence-securitycooperation and promoting partnership in all fields. He said he hopes Japan will assistVietnam in industrialisation and modernisation as well as building anindependent and self-reliant economy and international integration.
The Vietnamese leaderalso showed hope that Suga will support the implementation of agreementsreached between the two PMs such as those in providing new-generation ODA toVietnam, infrastructure development, green transition, climate change response,trade of farm produce, high technology, green and circular economy, and humanresource training.
He also stressed theneed for the two sides to strengthen people-to-people exchange and cooperationin tourism as well as the organisation of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties in 2023. He thanked the Japanese side forsupporting the 500,000-strong Vietnamese community in the country.
At the meeting (Photo: VNA)He highlighted thatJapan considers Vietnam as a key partner in its free and open Indo-Pacificstrategy, and pledged that he will continue to contribute to lifting thebilateral extensive strategic partnership to a new height.
He said he hopes thetwo sides will continue to bolster cooperation in ODA, holding that Japanesebusinesses are interested in the promising Vietnamese market. He suggested thatthe two sides should continue to promote collaboration in trade and investment,climate change response, renewable energy, and the development of theJapan-Vietnam University, as well as in the trade of farm produce, along withsecurity-defence.
At the meeting, thetwo sides also discussed regional and global issues of mutual concern, andunderlined the necessity of upholding the law and multilateralism ininternational relations for peace, stability and cooperation in the region andthe world, as well as the ensuring of peace, security, maritime and aviationsafety and freedom in the sea, as well as the settlement of disputes through peacefulmeasures in line with international law./.
VNA
