Japan will continue its strong support for Vietnam’s sustainable development, focusing on constructing high-quality infrastructure, improving economic competitiveness and training human resources for the country, said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

Overview of the press conference 

PM Abe was speaking at a meeting with the press together with President Tran Dai Quang following their talks in Tokyo on May 31.

The PM said he and President Quang agreed to step up cooperation in the areas that directly benefit Vietnamese people like medical collaboration within the framework of the Asian health initiative, and cultural and sport exchanges, including Japanese language teaching programmes. 

He described President Quang’s visit as a symbol of cooperation and friendship between the two countries. 

The host said he and the Vietnamese State leader will take advantage of the visit in order to join hands to further boost the Vietnam-Japan relationship across sectors. 

PM Abe thanked President Quang for successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the central city of Da Nang last year.

He applauded Vietnam’s very important role in completing the negotiations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to which both Vietnam and Japan are signatories. 

President Quang showed his delight at the growth of the Vietnam-Japan partnership over the past 45 years, with rapid and practical development recorded in all fields and similarities in strategic interests.

He agreed that 2018 is an important year opening a new phase of development in bilateral relationship, matching the benefit of both sides.

The Vietnamese leader said Vietnam highly values the leading role of Japan and PM Shinzo Abe in the negotiation and signing of the CPTPP.

He said that leaders of Vietnam and Japan concurred to enhance political trust through maintaining regular high-level visits and meetings, strengthening parliamentary exchange, and fostering cooperation in defence, security as well as people-to-people contact, especially in 2018.

The two sides will continue promoting connectivity in economy for mutual benefit, he stated, adding that Japan will increase investment in Vietnam, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to be sold in Japan and strengthen cooperation in major projects in infrastructure, high-quality human resources training, climate change response, as well as in the implementation of Vietnam’s industrialization strategy.

The two countries will coordinate closely in using Japanese ODA.

Leaders of Vietnam and Japan also agreed to focus on affiliating in agriculture, health care, environment, labour, urban construction and development, administrative reform, culture, and local cooperation.

Vietnam and Japan will start the negotiation for agreements on criminal mutual legal assistance and transfer of sentenced persons.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed on the importance of a free, open, stable, rules-based and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. 

They committed to mutually supporting as the candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020-2021 for Vietnam, and 2023-2024 for Japan. 

The two countries will closely coordinate when Vietnam is the coordinating country for the ASEAN-Japan relationship from August 2018. 

While affirming the need to ensure peace, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the East Sea, the leaders agreed to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes without the use of force or threat to use force, and the stringent respect for international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

They also underlined the importance to respect diplomatic and legal processes, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and striving to reach a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner.

Vietnam, Japan seek new development phase for ties

At the talks 

President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe have reached high consensus on major orientations and concrete measures to advance the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership in a more comprehensive, practical and efficient manner.

At their talks in Tokyo on May 31 during President Quang’s State visit to Japan, the leaders noted with pleasure pragmatic and rapid developments of the Vietnam-Japan relationship across fields, with many similarities in strategic interests. 

They agreed that 2018 will begin a new development phase of the bilateral ties. 

PM Abe described President Quang’s visit as a very important political event in the Vietnam-Japan relationship.

He said Japan highly values Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements as well as its increasingly important position and role in the region and the world at large.

“Japan attaches great importance to Vietnam in its foreign policy,” the host emphasised. 

President Quang affirmed: ”Vietnam consistently considers Japan a leading, long-term partner.”

He appreciated the country’s effective cooperation and support for Vietnam in various realms. 

Host and guest consented to continue to enhance mutual political trust by maintaining high-level visits and meetings, and intensifying cooperation and exchanges between the two parties and legislative bodies. 

They also agreed to beef up economic links in the spirit of mutual benefits, increase Japan’s investments in Vietnam and join hands in major projects on high-quality infrastructure, energy, personnel training and climate change response, as well as in implementing Vietnam’s industrialisation strategy. 

The two sides will  work together in order to raise bilateral trade revenue and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese seafood and fruits like litchi and longan into the Japanese market. 

PM Sinzo Abe affirmed that Japan will continue supporting Vietnam in socio-economic development by providing official development assistance (ODA), strengthening cooperation in high quality infrastructure projects, and committing the provision of 16 billion JPY (142 million USD) in ODA for a project to enhance vocational training capacity of Vietnam.

President Tran Dai Quang hailed contributions of Japanese ODA to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and the improvement of the country’s competitiveness. He agreed that the two countries need to coordinate closely in using the resource.

Both sides concurred to foster affiliation in security and defence as well as in implementing the declaration on joint vision in defence cooperation between the two countries.

They will bolster cooperation in various areas such as cyber security, defence equipment, military medicine, UN peace-keeping operations, war consequence settlement through landmine clearance and support of Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Vietnam, improve the capacity of law enforcement at sea, and share  experience on maritime policy.

The leaders lauded the launch of negotiations for an agreement on mutual criminal legal support and another on transfer of sentenced persons.

Vietnam and Japan agreed to promote coordination in education, human resources training, agriculture, health care, labour, urban building and development, administrative reform, and partnership among localities.

PM Shinzo Abe pledged to assist Vietnam in high-ranking official training, administrative reform, while continuing receiving apprentices from Vietnam.

The leaders affirmed that the two countries would closely coordinate in organising activities celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, as well as promoting culture, sport and people-to-people exchanges, towards  further deepening mutual trust and understanding between their people 

They stressed that this is an important foundation for sustainable development of the Vietnam-Japan relations in the future. 

President Quang asserted Vietnam’s consistent policy of actively coordinating with international partners, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world. 

The two sides agreed to enhance their coordination at global and regional forums in the issues of their common concern. 

Talking about the Korean Peninsula issue, the leaders affirmed the support for efforts for peace, stability and denuclearization in the peninsula, and stressed the importance to resolve disagreements by diplomatic and peaceful measures. 

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides agreed on the importance to ensure peace, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the sea, and the peaceful settlement of disputes by peaceful means without the use of force or threat to use force, exercising self-restraint and avoiding all actions that would harm trust, and strictly abiding by international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

They also underlined the need to respect diplomatic and legal processes, fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and strive to reach a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner with legal effectiveness.

At the end of the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and PM Shinzo Abe witnessed the signing of four documents between the two countries’ ministries and sectors. 

The documents include a diplomatic note on a non-refundable aid worth 745 million JPY (equivalent to 6.77 million USD) for human resources development scholarships; a diplomatic note on a non-refundable aid worth 1.96 billion JPY (equivalent to 17.8 million USD) for the upgrade of downgraded water drainage ditches in Ho Chi Minh City; a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in land and water resource management, measurement, mapping and information on geographical space, hydro-metrology and remote sensing between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan; and the minutes on cooperation on urban construction and development in the 2018-2021 between Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

On the occasion, the two sides adopted the joint statement on the State visit to Japan of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Late on the day, President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse attended the official banquet hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his spouse.

Vietnam, Japan issue joint statement

Vietnam and Japan have issued a joint statement on the occasion of the State visit to Japan by President Tran Dai Quang from May 29 to June 2. 

The visit of President Quang and his spouse is made at the invitation of the State of Japan. Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko hosted a welcome ceremony and a state banquet for the Vietnamese guests. 

While in Japan, President Quang held talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and met with political and economic leaders of Japan. He also attended and addressed a conference on promoting investment in Vietnam and visited Gunma prefecture. 

During their talks on May 31, President Quang and PM Abe expressed their delight at strong, comprehensive, pragmatic developments across fields of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership, for peace and prosperity in Asia. 

They shared the views that the regular exchange of high-level visits and meetings will contribute to enhancing mutual political trust and promoting bilateral cooperation in national defence-security and enhancing collaboration in a wide range of areas, from agriculture to environment, natural disaster prevention, climate change response, education-training, science-technology, construction, information-communications, health care, and cultural, sport, and people-to-people exchanges. 

Both affirmed their willingness to work together in order to advance the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership to the next development step in all spheres in a more pragmatic, effective manner. 

Accordingly, they will intensify political trust, expand and deepen bilateral cooperation, boost economic links, step up exchanges between citizens of the two countries and closely coordinate with each other in regional and global issues. 

Host and guest are resolved to join hands in ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region by maintaining and consolidating the order in a free and open sea in line with law and practices. 

Both aim to intensify bilateral affiliation in national defence, strengthen collaboration in dealing with consequences of war-left bombs and mines, and supporting victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and bombs and mines in Vietnam. They will take into account further cooperation in dioxin remediation. 

At the same time, the two sides will reinforce partnerships in coping with non-traditional security issues, covering cyber security, cyber and cross-border crimes, terrorism, food, water resources and maritime security. 

They determined to accelerate the implementation of economic agreements and work together to handle bottlenecks to several Japanese projects in Vietnam. 

The two sides agreed to continue cooperating in large-scale infrastructure projects, expressing their wish for further collaboration in administration and restructuring of State-owned enterprises through partnerships between Vietnamese State firms and Japanese investors. 

The leaders concurred to forge bilateral trade, aiming to double trade and investment values by 2020 as compared with 2014. 

Apart from enhancing affiliation in high-quality personnel training, host and guest consented to boost partnerships in agriculture, environment, climate change response, education, science-technology, health care, cultural, and sport and people-to-people exchanges. 

The two sides also reiterated commitments to strengthening coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums like the UN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEAN-led mechanisms. 

Regarding the East Sea issue, they reaffirmed the significance of maintaining peace, security, navigation and aviation safety and freedom, practicing self-restraint, peacefully addressing disputes by fully respecting legal and diplomatic processes and observing international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). 

They also compared notes on other regional and global issues.

VNA