Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed Vietnam’s desire to join efforts with Japan in elevating bilateral ties to a higher level at a reception for visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Hanoi on August 1.

PM Dung applauded the outcome of the talks between the two foreign ministers and the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee and expressed his delight at the growing strategic partnership in a multitude of areas.

In terms of bilateral cooperation, PM Dung proposed promoting strong and practical cooperation in all areas spanning from politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, investment, tourism, cooperation and development to culture, social affairs, education-training, science- technology, cross-cultural exchange and defense and security.

“Vietnam wants Japan to assist it in development process by maintaining ODA funding while Vietnam will closely coordinate with Japan to use the capital effectively” Dung said.

The Government leader asked Japan to encourage its businesses to invest in Vietnam and boost bilateral trade and facilitate Vietnamese agricultural products’ penetration into the Japanese market.

He also suggested Japan offer favourable conditions for Vietnamese students, workers, nurses and orderlies to work and study in the country while confirming that Vietnam will facilitate Japanese long-term investments.

PM Dung stated that Vietnam will work hand in hand with Japan to put Vietnam-Japan University, a symbol of the new cooperation between the two countries into operation soon.

He also thanked Japan for providing six used vessels to help strengthen the capacity of Vietnamese law enforcement force at sea and wished to continue receiving support and assistance from Japan.

FM Fumio Kishida, in turn, expressed his optimism that bilateral relation will grow and flourish in the time to come, adding that both sides boast huge potential for bolstering economic, trade and investment cooperation in the future.

“Japan is committed to assisting Vietnam in carrying out the industrialization strategy and providing ODA for Vietnam. Japan is also carefully studying Vietnam’s proposals on promoting bilateral trade including bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to the Japanese market, exempting Vietnam citizens from entry visa and increasing the number of Vietnamese nurses and orderlies who want to work in Japan. Japan will also continue supporting Vietnam in improving law enforcement capacity at sea.”, the Japanese diplomat assured Dung.

Regarding regional peace and stability including the East Sea, Minister Fumio Kishida said his nation hailed Vietnam’s stance while reiterating Japan’s commitments to maintain peace, stability, and maritime freedom, security and safety in the East Sea.

“Japan considers this a common responsibility and interest of the international community and calls on concerned parties, through peaceful dialogues, to resolve disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work on formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) and avoiding complicating the situation.” Kishida said.

FM Fumio Kishida said he will convey an invitation to visit Vietnam from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to PM Shinzo Abe.

Meeting with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on the same day, President Truong Tan Sang said that Vietnam highly values Japan’s support given to the country during its economic development over the past years.

Sang expressed his belief that based on trusted political ties, the two countries will enjoy more progress in bilateral ties in the future.

He informed his guest that Vietnam has completed all the necessary procedures to launch the Vietnam-Japan University, which he described as a symbol of the friendship between Vietnam and Japan. He mentioned the help of Kansai region and Ibaraki prefecture in the form of tuna fishing tools and farming technology transfer to Vietnamese farmers.

President Sang also took the occasion to invite the Japanese Emperor and the royal family, as well as Japanese government and parliamentary leaders to visit Vietnam.

Minister Kishida noted that cooperation in politics, economics and people-to-people exchange between the two countries is growing considerably, noting that his nation is keen on stronger cooperation with Vietnam in energy.

The Japanese FM also thanked Vietnam for its efforts to put the Vietnam-Japan University into operation soon.

On regional and international issues, Kishida also made it clear that Japan supports Vietnam’s stance of settling disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Japanese foreign Minister was also later received by Politburo member and head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission To Huy Rua.

Rua, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentary Group, and Minister Kishida expressed their delight at the sound relations between the two friendship parliamentarian groups.

They agreed that both sides will continue promoting the role of parliamentarians in fostering the Vietnam-Japan relation, particularly in agriculture and human resources.

Vietnam wishes for stronger ties with Japan

Vietnam always regards Japan as one of its strategic partners of first magnitude while Japan wants to develop a substantial and extensive partnership with Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida echoed this view when co-hosting the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee in Hanoi on August 1.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed a score of measures to develop bilateral relations in a comprehensive, effective and sustainable manner in the future by maintaining regular exchange visits and meetings between senior leaders and enhancing cooperation and dialogues between ministries, sectors and localities.

The two ministers stressed the need to effectively implement signed agreements, especially infrastructure development projects such as building the North –South Highway, Lach Huyen port and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant.

Minister Fumio Kishida affirmed his nation’s recognition of Vietnam as a leading partner in ODA, noting that the Japanese Government will continue maintaining a high level of ODA provision for Vietnam, focusing on supporting growth, improving competitiveness, fine-tuning market economy mechanism, training human resources and preventing natural disasters.

Deputy PM Binh Minh greatly valued the Japanese Government for its commitment to maintaining its large ODA provision for Vietnam including the signing of a diplomatic note of exchange on offering JPY 500 million in non-refundable aid for Vietnam’s maritime safety and JPY 353 million for a human resource development scholarship program for Vietnam in 2014.

Minh reiterated the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to effective use of Japanese ODA to make practical contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.

Deputy PM and PM Pham Binh Minh and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida co-host the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee in Hanoi.

The two FMs consented to improve the investment environment in Vietnam, promote Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model and step up bilateral cooperation in trade, personnel training, science-technology, climate change adaptation, judiciary and cross- cultural exchange.

They noted with satisfaction over the growing agricultural cooperation between the two countries in recent times and examined ways to carry out a number of projects such as Bach Dang Bridge, Can Tho University, Vietnam – Japan University.

FM Minh hailed the Japanese Government for facilitating the grant of entry visa for Vietnamese citizens in recent years. Minister Fumio Kishida said his agency will continue working with Vietnam on the implementation of action plans in Vietnam’s industrialization strategy within the Vietnam – Japan cooperation framework, and   helping Vietnam realize the Vietnam-Japan joint initiative to improve the investment environment in Vietnam.

The two FMs concurred to further beef up cooperation in dealing with regional and international issues of common concern.

“Vietnam welcomes Japan for its active and constructive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the wider world.” Minh said.

They called for dialogues and peaceful settlement of disputes between concerned parties in the East Sea on the basis of respect for international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to ensure security, maritime safety, stability and peace in the region.

The outcome of the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee and the talks between Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida significantly contributed to further strengthening extensive strategic partnership between the two nations.