On the morning of October 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related meetings. This marked the first meeting between the two prime ministers since Shigeru Ishiba took office.

Congratulating Prime Minister Ishiba, Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Vietnam considers Japan a trusted and important long-term partner. He expressed support for Japan’s active contribution to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and globally.

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening economic cooperation, a key pillar of the two countries' relationship. He called for enhanced economic links, cooperation to ensure economic security, and faster progress on key joint projects. He also committed to creating favorable conditions for over 2,000 Japanese enterprises to continue mutually beneficial investments and business activities in Vietnam.

In particular, Prime Minister Chinh proposed that Japan consider new ODA loans for strategic infrastructure development, urban railways, high-speed rail, and climate adaptation projects in various localities in Vietnam.

He further suggested expanding cooperation into new fields such as digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence (AI). He also sought deeper cooperation in labor, the training of high-quality human resources, and hoped Japan would continue policies to encourage and support the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Facilitating Vietnamese workers to work in Japan

Prime Minister Ishiba expressed his pleasure at the first meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart. He highly appreciated Pham Minh Chinh’s contributions to the development of Vietnam-Japan relations and affirmed that Vietnam is a key partner in implementing Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative. He expressed a desire to deepen and further solidify the bilateral relationship.

Acknowledging the importance of Vietnam's workforce to Japan’s economy, Prime Minister Ishiba committed to continuing to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese workers and interns to study and work in Japan through the "Employment Program for Skill Development." He also expressed readiness to support Vietnam in training high-quality human resources.

Prime Minister Ishiba agreed with the proposals made by Prime Minister Chinh to enhance economic, trade, and investment cooperation. He pledged to coordinate efforts to remove obstacles and create favorable conditions for further collaboration between the two nations.

Both prime ministers agreed to enhance political trust through high-level and intergovernmental exchanges. They also discussed boosting defense and security cooperation, effectively implementing existing dialogue mechanisms, and addressing common regional challenges.

Australia commits to prioritizing ODA support for Vietnam

On the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Both leaders agreed to direct their countries’ ministries and agencies to effectively implement the cooperation agreements reached between the two nations in recent years.

Prime Minister Albanese emphasized that Australia values strengthening relations with Vietnam and highlighted that upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership opens a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Australia pledged to continue prioritizing ODA support for Vietnam, especially in areas where Vietnam needs assistance, such as climate change adaptation, energy transition, and digital transformation.

Prime Minister Chinh also urged Australia to contribute positively to fostering dialogue, cooperation, and trust-building through ASEAN-led mechanisms, while respecting ASEAN's central role and consulting with ASEAN. He also called for continued support for ASEAN’s efforts to close development gaps and promote sub-regional cooperation, including in the Mekong region.

Increasing flights between Vietnam and India

On the morning of October 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Chinh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for sending a letter of sympathy and providing 35 tons of emergency relief goods worth USD 1 million to assist regions affected by Typhoon Yagi.

He also expressed satisfaction with the tangible results achieved during his recent State visit to India and praised the ongoing collaboration between both sides to implement the outcomes of the visit.

Discussing future cooperation, the two prime ministers agreed to continue promoting high-level visits and exchanges in flexible formats and to increase the frequency of direct flights connecting major cities in both countries to facilitate trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Prime Minister Modi commended the successful ASEAN Summits held in Laos, noting their wide-reaching impact across the region.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting each other and working closely at regional and international forums, especially at the United Nations, ASEAN, and ASEAN-led mechanisms. They emphasized the principles of ensuring maritime and air security and freedom, peacefully resolving disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Quang Phong