Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh had bilateral meetings with ministers of Japan and Chile on the sidelines of the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile on March 9.

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh (L) and Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi

Meeting with Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister Anh stressed that Vietnam highly values the leading role of Japan, especially Minister Motegi, in the promotion and negotiation on the CPTPP, which has high quality but still has necessary flexibilities that suit the development level of each member country.

Vietnam thanks Japan and the minister for effective support in persuading other CPTPP members to give certain flexibility to Vietnam in such issues as labour – trade union and intellectual property, helping to comprehensively finish the negotiation on this deal in Tokyo last January, he noted.

The two ministers hailed the success of the CPTPP in general and the CPTPP signing in particular, expressing their belief that it will be a new-generation free trade agreement with high and comprehensive standards and be a foundation to shape new relations in Asia-Pacific in the coming time.

The Vietnamese side affirmed the resolve to work with Japan and other members to soon put this agreement into force so as to concretise the benefits that the deal will bring to businesses and people of the participating nations.

The two sides shared the view that the CPTPP signing by the 11 countries will be an important turning point and create a prerequisite for the members to start ratifying and enforcing the deal soon.

Vietnam also asked Japan to soon implement necessary technical assistance to help it fully implement the commitments in the CPTPP.

At the meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Healdo Munos, Minister Tran Tuan Anh said Vietnam welcomes and highly appreciates Chile’s organisation of the CPTPP signing ceremony.

He affirmed Vietnam will join efforts with Chile and other member countries to soon bring the trade deal into force in order to realise benefits brought from the pact to enterprises and people of the participating nations.

Vietnam thanks Chile for its support during the CPTPP negotiation process, especially in issues Vietnam are interested in such as labour - trade union, he added.

FM Healdo Munos stressed that Chile also agreed with Vietnam’s viewpoint on the benefits that the agreement will bring about, affirming his country will make efforts to conduct necessary procedures for the deal to be ratified soon.

Regarding the bilateral ties, the two sides spoke highly of positive outcomes in trade reached over the past time, especially after the Vietnam – Chile free trade agreement (FTA) took effect. 

They agreed to enhance the dissemination of the FTA among the two countries’ business communities via trade promotion events, conferences and seminars.

The two governments should organise training courses and popularise ways to make the best use of preferences stated in the agreement to help businesses and managing agencies cut time, procedures and costs.

In a meeting between Minister Tran Tuan Anh and Chilean Economic Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, the two sides exchanged bilateral letters signed by the two ministers in the framework of CPTPP negotiations, as well as discussed several contents in preparation for the upcoming ratification and enforcement of the deal.-VNA