The Japanese top leaders pledged to bring Vietnam-Japan relations to a new height at their meetings on August 2 with Politburo member To Huy Rua of Vietnam during the latter’s visit to Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated his first overseas visit right after taking office to Vietnam reflected Japan’s policy of placing importance to its ties with Hanoi.

He pledged to do his part in lifting bilateral ties to a new height.

Deputy PM and Finance Minister Taro Aso, for his part, said he will spare no effort to enhance the two countries’ economic cooperation, referring to the provision of ODA and investment activities in Vietnam in the future.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the need for the two countries to increase cooperation through various dialogue channels to become real strategic partners of each other.

At these meetings, Rua, who is also Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, affirmed that the relations and cooperation between the two countries and the two governments are experiencing the finest time in almost all fields so far.

As Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarian Group, Rua has been in a working visit to Japan from August 1-5 at the invitation of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Alliance as part of the activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

During the visit, he met with President of the Communist Party of Japan Kazuo Shii to exchange views on theoretical and practical issues stemming from Vietnam’s renovation process.

Kazuo Shii said cooperation between the two parties has helped promote the two countries’ friendship while To Huy Rua expressed hopes that the two parties will continue to maintain their close relations in the time to come.

On the visit, Rua and his entourage visited Canon group, one of successful Japanese businesses in Vietnam and attended a ceremony to present the Friendship Medal to former Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Alliance Tsutomu Takebe in acknowledgment of his contributions to the increasing bilateral ties.

He also met with and held talks with Speaker of the House of Representative Buimei Ibuki, Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Alliance Roshihiro Nikai, Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Takahashi Kyohei and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Japan Banri Kaieda.-VNA