Minister of National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Photo: VNA) Tokyo (VNA) – Japan attaches much importance to its relations with Vietnam and wants to bolster the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries, said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
He made the statement while hosting a reception on April 10 for Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich, who is on an official visit to Japan at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Onodera Itsunori.
Lauding the signing of the Joint Vision Statement on defence cooperation in the next decade, the Japanese Government leader hoped that both nations will foster collaboration in security-defence, diplomacy, economy and people-to-people exchange.
Reminding the Japanese Emperor and Empress’s visit to Vietnam last year, he thanked the Vietnamese side for giving them a warm welcome.
For his part, General Ngo Xuan Lich stressed that Vietnam and Japan boast a long-standing friendship and share similarities in culture and customs. Japan, as the largest ODA provider for Vietnam, is a leading partner of the Southeast Asian nation in economic development.
“Vietnamese Government and people always treasure the development of comprehensive relations with Japan,” he said, adding that 2017 was a significant year for Vietnam-Japan ties when both sides saw the visits of the Japanese Emperor and Empress and Prime Minister to Vietnam and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Japan.
He said Vietnam always appraises Japan’s roles and initiatives as well as supports the country in enhancing cooperation with Southeast Asian nations and the ASEAN bloc. He said he hopes that Japan will make more positive contributions to maintaining regional peace and stability.
Briefing the Japanese Prime Minister of the outcomes of his talks with Defence Minister Onodera Itsunori, he expressed his wish that Abe will continue support for the cooperation between the two ministries.
Lich’s visit to Japan is part of the activities to mark 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.-VNA
VNA
