Japan’s relationship with Vietnam is now in its prime, Speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima said while meeting with visiting Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Tokyo on September 17.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (second, right) and Japanese Speaker Tadamori Oshima (second, left)

The Speaker congratulated Vietnam on the successful organisation of the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union last March and expressed his support to Vietnam’s efforts and practical contributions to peace, cooperation, and development in the Asian-Pacific region.

He also highlighted the political trust and whole-hearted amity between the two countries.

Meanwhile, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is on an official visit to Japan, thanked Tadamori Oshima for his sentiment toward Vietnam’s people and National Assembly and voiced his belief that the latter will greatly contribute to the growth of the extensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

The Vietnamese leader also appreciated the Japanese lower house’s role in bolstering bilateral relations, particularly in endorsing the Japanese Government’s provision of official development assistance to Vietnam.

He spoke highly of the cooperation between Vietnam’s National Assembly and Japan’s House of Representatives, legislative committees, and parliamentarians, especially between the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance and its Vietnam-Japan counterpart.

At the meeting, Speaker Tadamori Oshima lauded the substantive relations between the countries’ legislative bodies, as helping realise cooperation agreements serving their extensive strategic partnership.

He stressed that as maritime nations, Japan and Vietnam need to enhance collaboration to maintain peace and stability at sea.

Countries involving in disputes should seriously adhere to international law and settle the issues through dialogue and peaceful measures, he said, adding that countries should respect one another and work together on the same footing for development.

Both sides agreed to facilitate exchanges between the Vietnamese and Japanese Governments, parliaments, and people for deeper mutual understanding, trust, friendship, and cooperation for the sake of their peoples and regional and global peace and prosperity.

Japanese press hails Vietnam-Japan solidarity

Japanese newspapers on September 16 and 17 covered Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to Japan, highlighting the all-around solidarity between Vietnam and Japan.

Sankei, a leading economic daily of Japan, ran an article featuring the Vietnam-Japan Joint Statement, which affirms that the two countries will increase collaboration in maritime security.

Japan vowed to cooperate with Vietnam to enhance law enforcement at sea while affirming the necessity for the early establishment of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to avoid military conflicts on the sea, said the article.

Vietnam and Japan will also foster connections in cyber security, agriculture and energy, it added.

The two sides agreed to work together towards the conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, according to the newspaper.

Other renowned newspapers, including Daily Yomiuri and Mainichi also featured the bilateral cooperation in security and economy, especially Japan’s commitment to assist Vietnam in upgrading the Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

The English daily Japan Times posted the content of the joint press conference, hosted by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after their talks.

The Vietnamese Party leader is on a five-day official visit to Japan starting from September 15 to deepen the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

VNA