Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, have concluded their official visit to Japan, which Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung described as highly successful, with significant outcomes for bilateral relations.

The visit took place as Vietnam and Japan entered a new stage of cooperation amid rapidly changing and increasingly complex regional and international developments.

According to Trung, Japan's Imperial Family, Government and Parliament extended an exceptionally warm and respectful welcome to the Vietnamese leader, his wife and the accompanying delegation.

The reception included a number of special arrangements and gestures, reflecting Japan's high regard for Vietnam's growing international standing and the importance of bilateral relations.

During the visit, To Lam held talks and meetings with Japan's top leaders, political party heads and prominent politicians. He also met executives of major companies, representatives of research institutes and universities, and members of Japanese friendship and civic organizations.

These engagements resulted in broad agreement on key priorities for future cooperation, subsequently reflected in the Vietnam-Japan Joint Vision Statement.

"The most significant outcome is that our two countries are moving into a new phase of relations as partners that work together, jointly shape the future and pursue mutual benefits, with a focus on high-quality growth, strategic autonomy and resilience," Trung said.

He added that this approach was consistent with Vietnam's new development stage and its evolving priorities.

The Vietnam-Japan Joint Vision Statement outlines major cooperation frameworks covering closely connected priority areas, including science, technology and innovation, education and training, human resource development, production and supply chain integration, finance, investment and development assistance.

The two countries also agreed to further develop cooperation mechanisms in energy, digital transformation, semiconductors and other sectors to meet their respective development needs.

A total of 11 agreements were signed or exchanged between ministries, government agencies and local authorities, alongside approximately 60 cooperation agreements between businesses.

These agreements are expected to provide an important foundation for expanding collaboration in areas where both countries have complementary strengths and shared interests.

Moving toward joint research, development and production

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized that To Lam's visit had made an important contribution to elevating Vietnam-Japan relations, deepening mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation across bilateral and multilateral channels.

He said the outcomes reflected a shared commitment to working together and jointly shaping future development, in line with both countries' strategic priorities.

The visit also provided fresh momentum for cooperation between the two countries through Party, government, parliamentary and people-to-people channels.

According to Trung, one of the most significant achievements was the establishment of a new direction for Vietnam-Japan cooperation, opening opportunities in strategic sectors where the two countries possess complementary capabilities and development needs.

The visit is also expected to accelerate the transition from high-level commitments and signed agreements to more extensive and effective implementation, contributing to both countries' growth objectives and strategic autonomy.

"The most important task is to fully understand the cooperation directions clearly set out in the Vietnam-Japan Joint Vision Statement, under which our countries will work as partners that jointly shape the future," Trung said.

"In the past, we might have produced certain goods and then exported them. In the coming period, the two countries will jointly conduct research and development, manufacture products and identify supply sources, allowing both to participate more deeply in regional and global supply chains."

Building on the Joint Vision Statement and the commitments reached by senior leaders during the visit, ministries, government agencies, local authorities and businesses in both countries will need to work closely together to turn the agreements into concrete programs, plans and projects.

These initiatives should have clearly defined objectives, implementation timelines and responsibilities, the foreign minister said.

He also called for regular reviews, close monitoring and stronger coordination between relevant agencies to accelerate cooperation and promptly address any difficulties that may arise.

Tran Thuong