Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Japanese FM Motegi Toshimitsu expressed their delight at the impressive development of the Viet Nam – Japan extensive strategic partnership over the past years, during their talks in Ha noi on January 6.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Japanese FM Motegi Toshimitsu (Photo: VNA)

They agreed to further enhance political trust via maintaining regular visits, exchanges and dialogues at all levels while bringing into full play the efficiency of the existing cooperation and dialogue mechanisms.

Informing his guest of Viet Nam’s priorities for internal and external relations during 2020, Minh affirmed the country’s consistent policy of taking Japan as a partner of top significance. He also invited his guest to ASEAN-related meetings in Viet Nam this year.

Toshimitsu, for his part, wished to further deepen the Japan – Viet Nam extensive strategic partnership.

Japan supports and will work closely with Viet Nam to help the country successfully undertake the role of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020 – 2021 tenure.

Both sides vowed to intensify collaboration across trade, investment, official development assistance, human resources development and climate change response.

Minh asked the Japanese government to encourage firms to help Vietnamese counterparts join the global supply chain, increase investment in hi-tech agriculture and support industry, soon allow the import of Vietnamese longan, and assist Viet Nam in environment issues and climate change response.

Host and guest promised to partner in receiving workers and trainees, removing unhealthy labour and student brokerage firms so as to ensure their legitimate rights in Japan.

The host said the Vietnamese Government has approved Japan’s proposal of opening a consular office in the central city of Da Nang. He also proposed that the Japanese government should simplify procedures to issue visas for Vietnamese citizens.

The two sides agreed to continue working closely together at regional and global forums, discuss the promotion of global economic linkages, including the early implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

They exchanged ideas on regional and global issues of shared concern. As for the East Sea issue, they agreed on the importance of ensuring peace, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, complying with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On the occasion, they held a ceremony to exchange diplomatic notes on water drainage and wastewater treatment projects in Ha Long city signed by Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung and Japanese FM Toshimitsu, and on dioxin and environment analysis equipment worth 2.7 million USD as a non-refundable aid signed between Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Umeda Kunio.

The same day,  Japanese FM’s spouse Motegi Emi visited Chu Van An elementary school in Hanoi.

(Source: VNA)