Japanese PM to visit Vietnam
(VOV) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay an official visit to Vietnam on January 16-17 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi said on January 10.
The two PMs will discuss measures to strengthen the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership, especially cooperation in politics, security, national defence, economics, trade and investment.
They will announce the start of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year 2013 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Shinzo Abe is scheduled to meet with other top Vietnamese leaders.
Vietnam is one of Abe’s stopovers during his Southeast Asian tour, the first overseas trip after he took office last month.
Besides Vietnam, he will travel to Thailand and Indonesia.
His Southeast Asian tour was also confirmed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo on January 10.
Major Japanese newspapers, including Asashi and Yomiuri, reported on January 8 that Shinzo Abe would make a tour of Southeast Asian nations, though he earlier said he would select the US as his first stopover in his overseas tour.
It's important to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN member countries to ensure peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, said Suga.
Observers say Japan wants to tighten economic ties with all 10 Southeast Asian countries to counter-balance China’s growing influence in the region.
Suga said that Tokyo will continue negotiations with Washington to rearrange Abe’s visit to strengthen Japan’s alliance with the US.