VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will work closely with Japan to bring bilateral cooperation relations to new heights, for mutual benefit and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Former Japanese PM Hatoyama (L) received PM Dung in Tokyo on April 20. (Photo: VNA)
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the commitment at a meeting in Tokyo on April 20 with former Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama, who is also president of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVFPA).  

Dung, who arrived there on April 19 for the 4th Mekong-Japan Summit, thanked Japan for providing official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam over the years, helping the country gradually achieve its development goals.

He noted that the economic, trade and investment ties between Vietnam and Japan have grown and flourished constantly despite the global economic and financial meltdown.

He proposed that both countries increase cooperation in infrastructure investment, energy development, exploitation of rare earth, environmental protection, culture, transfer of high technology, and development of support industries, as well as cooperation between their localities.

Dung expressed his hope that in his capacity, Hatoyama, and the alliance will make a greater contribution to developing cooperative ties between Vietnam and Japan and their legislative bodies.

For his part, Hatoyama assured Dung that the JVFPA will lobby the Japanese Diet (parliament) and government to increase ODA for Vietnam to develop its infrastructure and support human resources training, and encourage Japanese businesses to expand operations in Vietnam.

He said that supported by the fine development of bilateral political ties, Japan and Vietnam will implement key joint projects on infrastructure construction, high-tech parks, education-training, culture and health care on schedule.

He also thanked Vietnam for its material and spiritual assistance for Japanese who bore the brunt of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunamis.  

The same day, Dung met with Hiroshi Watanabe, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Tadashi Okamura, President of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Ken Matsuzawa, President of Japan’s International Friendship Exchange Council, and Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

VietNamNet/VOV