Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Hanoi on January 17, wrapping up a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

During the visit, Shinzo Abe held talks with his counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung and paid courtesy visits to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang.

At all the talks and meetings, the two sides reached high unanimity on a number of major orientations and concrete measures to strengthen the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership.

The two countries will maintain and increase the exchange of high-ranking delegations as well as dialogues at all levels, while closely coordinating for the effective implementation of signed agreements on economic cooperation, especially important infrastructure projects.

Vietnam highly appreciated Abe’s commitment to continue providing ODA to the country at a high level as well as his announcement to grant 500 million USD in ODA capital to three projects.

The Southeast Asian country also valued Japan ’s assistance in building development strategies, especially the strategy on industrialisation development in the framework of the two sides’ cooperation toward 2020 and a vision to 2030.

The two sides agreed to beef up cooperation on a wide range of regional and international issues of mutual concerns, adding that all countries need to work closely to make practical and constructive contributions to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region, resolving any dispute and other arising issues by peaceful negotiations on the basis of international law.

On this occasion of the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, the two Prime Ministers announced the opening of the 2013 Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year./.VNA