Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon of October 30, beginning an official visit to Japan at the invitation of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
He is accompanied by Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Vu Duc Dam, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Finance Vuong Dinh Hue, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan, and senior officials from other ministries.

The visit takes place at a time when the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan has developed strongly following a visit to Vietnam in October 2010 by the then Prime Minister Naoto Kan.  Both countries have maintained regular exchanges of delegations at all levels to increase bilateral cooperation.

Japan is a leading economic and trade partner of Vietnam. It is the largest bilateral ODA donor, the third largest trade partner and the fourth largest FDI investor in Vietnam.

The two countries are working on key agreements stated in the 2010 Vietnam-Japan Joint Statement, including projects to build Hoa Lac hi-tech park, Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant, and Long Thanh international airport, as well as cooperating in exploiting rare earth.  

During the visit from October 30 to November 2, Vietnamese and Japanese leaders will discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in politics, diplomacy, national defence and security, economics, investment, trade, ODA, tourism, culture and education.

A number of cooperative documents will be signed on this occasion.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on October 30 visited the Vietnamese Embassy headquarters in Tokyo where he asked embassy staff and representatives of Vietnamese agencies to work harder to promote cooperation between the two countries.

The embassy and representative Vietnamese agencies as well as the Vietnamese community in Japan should make a greater effort to contribute to implementing joint projects agreed by the two countries’ leaders, said Mr Dung, who began an official visit to Japan on the same day.

The government leader praised them for their positive contributions to strengthening the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership in recent times, especially in politics, economics, trade, investment, official development assistance, tourism, education and culture.

He acknowledged their efforts in evacuating more than 80 Vietnamese nationals stranded in the areas affected by the powerful March earthquake and tsunamis to higher ground, as well as in helping them stabilise their lives.

He briefed them on Vietnam’s major socio-economic development achievements, and said during his visit leaders of the two countries will work out a plan of action to bring the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership to life, and to speed up implementation of key Japanese-funded infrastructure construction projects in Vietnam.

Mr Dung presented the Prime Minister’s certificate of merit to Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, recognising his contributions to rescuing and supporting Vietnamese nationals after the earthquake and tsunamis in north-eastern Japan.

The PM is scheduled to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihico Noda on October 31.

Japan awaits PM Dung’s visit, says diplomat

Japan has shown keen interest in the current official visit to Tokyo by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, says Naoko Saiki, Deputy Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Vietnam is a very important nation in Asia which is expected to achieve high growth in the coming years, Naoko told a VOV correspondent in Tokyo.

Japan is looking forward to the visit in the hope that the two countries’ leaders will have positive and specific discussions on issues of mutual concern in order to further develop economic ties and increase cooperation at regional and international forums for the sake of peace and stability in Asia and the Pacific, said the diplomat.

She said high-level talks between the two PMs scheduled for October 31 will focus on bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, exploitation of rare earth and Japan’s reception of Vietnamese nurses.

Meanwhile, Mainichi Daily, a leading newspaper in Japan, reported that both PMs Yoshihiko Noda and Nguyen Tan Dung will review implementation of key projects stated in the 2010 Vietnam-Japan Joint Statement during former PM Naoto Kan’s visit to Vietnam last year. It said the leaders will discuss ways to speed up these projects.

Vietnam has selected Japan as a key partner for building two nuclear reactors and exploiting rare earth in the country.

According to Mainichi Daily, PM Dung is scheduled to visit the areas which were badly affected by a powerful earthquake and tsunamis on March 11.

Asahi Shimbun, another big Japanese newspaper, reported that during the visit, Japan and Vietnam could reach an agreement under which the former will grant new loans to the latter to complete infrastructure at Hoa Lac hi-tech park in Hanoi.  

Nikkei, Japan’s largest economic newspaper, said Japan has selected Vietnam as a new partner for receiving its nurses to ease the shortage of medical staff in the country.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Jiji news agency reported that during their talks PMs Noda and Dung are likely to touch upon the issue of marine security which is the major theme of the upcoming East Asia Summit.

VNA