Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received a number of Japanese officials and met with local businesses in Tokyo on October 31, the second day of his four-day official visit to Japan.

At a reception for President of the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) Kazuo Shii, PM Dung extended his sympathy to the Japanese people over serious losses caused by the March earthquake and tsunami, expressing his belief that they will soon overcome their current difficulties to continue building a prosperous country.

He stressed that one of the top priorities in Vietnam ’s foreign policy is to continue strengthening and consolidating its strategic partnership with Japan .

PM Dung said he is pleased with positive developments in the relations between the CPJ and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) over the past time, adding that exchange activities such as the fourth theoretical discussion in Hanoi in late October contribute greatly to deepening the cooperation between the two parties.

For his part, Kazuo Shii congratulated Vietnam on achievements it has made during 25 years of renewal and affirmed the CPJ’s support for fostering the cooperation between the two countries.

On the same day, the Vietnamese Government leader received Japanese Minister of Economics, Trade and Industry (METI) Yukio Edano.

PM Dung spoke highly of active cooperation of the METI an and the Minister himself so that the two sides can sign important cooperative documents during this visit.

As the two countries still have a great potential for cooperation, Dung suggested the METI work closely with Vietnam’s relevant ministries and agencies to further boost bilateral ties, especially in economics, trade and investment.

Minister Edano affirmed that his ministry will closely coordinate with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies in implementing agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders, particularly in rare-earth exploration, exploration and processing, and the compilation of the feasibility study for the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power project.

He said that the Japanese side will join hands with Vietnamese partners to develop specilised industrial zones in the northern city of Hai Phong and the southern province of Vung Tau with priority given to mechanical engineering and electronics.

Meeting with representatives from the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ League (JVFPL) under the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Prime Minister Dung said the league’s effective and practical activities have helped strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The PM expressed his wish that Japan will continue to provide support for Vietnam , especially in infrastructure, support industry and human resource training projects.

The JVFPL representative welcomed PM Dung’s visit and affirmed the league will work for stronger cooperation with Vietnam .

In a dialogue the same day with Japanese businesses, the Vietnamese PM appreciated the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Keidanren)’s efforts in promoting the economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese government is paying attention to training human resources and improving infrastructure and business environment in order to ensure that Vietnam is a safe and attractive destination for international investors, including those from Japan .

Vietnam always encourages Japanese businesses to increase investment in the country for the common development of the two nations, he stressed.

By the end of October 2011, Japan had more than 1,600 valid FDI projects with a total registered investment of 22.3 billion USD, ranking fourth among 92 countries and territories investing in Vietnam .

Many large Japanese groups have been present in Vietnam with prestigious, competitive and hi-tech products, including Sumitomo, Toyota , Mitsubishi, Hitachi and Toshiba./.