He made the affirmation at a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi on January 30.

Voicing his delight at the strong, comprehensive and substantive growth of bilateral ties in all aspects in 2017, Nakane stressed that Vietnam’s development is important to Japan. 

He added his country is ready to assist Vietnam in economic development and administrative reform, including building high-quality infrastructure and promoting negotiations on an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and another on the transfer of sentenced persons.

The state minister noted Japan promoted the completion of talks on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that the deal could be signed in the time ahead. He appreciated Vietnam’s close cooperation in this work.

Japan will coordinate closely with Vietnam at international and regional forums like the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) when Vietnam becomes the coordinating country of Japan-ASEAN relations from late 2018, Nakane added.

For his part, Deputy PM Minh noted with satisfaction the all-round development of the two countries’ extensive strategic partnership, especially mutual visits and meetings between their leaders in 2017, including a trip by the Japanese Emperor and Empress and two visits by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

He highly valued Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam’s socio-economic development, particularly infrastructure building, and asked for the continuation of ODA provision.

The host official asked the two countries to continue promoting mutual high-ranking visits in 2018, when they mark the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. They should also bolster cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, especially increasing Japan’s admission of Vietnamese apprentices when the Northeast Asian nation prepares for the 2020 Summer Olympics.-VNA