Vietnam and Japan sketch out plans to increase strategic cooperation
VOV.VN - Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his visiting Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa outlined orientations for strategic cooperation between the two countries during their talks in Hanoi on October 10.
Satisfaction at growing ties
Son appreciated Kamikawa selecting Vietnam as one of the first overseas destinations to visit after she was appointed the Japanese diplomatic chief in September that shows Japan’s desires to foster its extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia with Vietnam.
The two sides reviewed major achievements of Vietnam - Japan relations, noting that over the past half a century, the two countries have become extremely important partners, sharing many common strategic interests.
Vietnam and Japan have also cooperated closely and effectively at regional and international forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN+ meetings, APEC and ASEM, contributing to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region.
They have regularly exchanged high-level delegations and organized meetings on the sidelines of regional and international conferences, thereby strengthening the trustworthy relationship between their leaders and setting major directions for the positive development of bilateral relations in all fields.
Bilateral cooperation has been strengthened in all fields, from politics, diplomacy, defense-security to economy, education-training, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Economic cooperation is a bright spot in the overall picture of the two countries’ relations. Two-way trade last year reached nearly US$50 billion, including US$24.2 billion from Vietnamese exports.
Japan is Vietnam’s leading economic partner, largest in ODA aid provision, second largest in labour cooperation, third largest in investment and tourism, and fourth largest in trade.
Japan is also the partner that has signed the most bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with Vietnam, including the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP) and the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. (VJEPA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
These FTAs have been constituting extremely important cooperation frameworks, contributing to promoting economic, trade, investment relations for mutual benefit between the two countries.
Future cooperation plans
The two sides agreed to promote high-level exchanges and contacts in celebration of 50 years of their diplomatic ties this year, while bolstering economic cooperation, local cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in new fields.
Son proposed that Japan effectively deploy new generation official development assistance (ODA) for large-scale strategic infrastructure development projects in Vietnam, and support Vietnamese businesses in engaging more deeply in the global value chain with Japanese partners.
He also proposed that Japan simplify procedures in granting visas to Vietnamese citizens, by putting Vietnam on the list of countries eligible for electronic visas, issuing long-term visas for Vietnamese expatriates who have entered Japan many times and have not violated the law, and considering visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens.
Kamikawa for her part affirmed that Japan would increase support for Vietnam to realize its long-term strategic goals and visions for 2030 - 2045, focusing on four key areas of revitalizing ODA cooperation, increasing investment-trade cooperation, expanding cooperation to new fields of digital transformation and green energy, and cooperating in high quality human resources training.
Japan considers Vietnam an important market and partner with great potential, and hopes that Vietnam will continue to improve its investment environment to attract Japanese investors, she said.
The Japanese diplomatic chief also appreciated the role and positive contributions of the Vietnamese community in Japan, and said Japan would consider creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to enter its territory.
The two sides also exchanged views on notable regional and international developments recently, and affirmed close coordination at multilateral forums and international organizations.
Vietnam is one of Kamikawa’s stopovers during her Southeast Asian tour from October 8 to 13 that also takes her to Brunei, Laos and Thailand.
