Solutions and directions to speed up the building of the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership topped the agenda of a seminar in Hanoi on Nov. 3.

Co-organised by the Vietnam Academy of Social Science, the Japan Cultural Exchange Centre and the Japanese embassy in Vietnam , the seminar brought together a large number of managers, researchers and businesspeople from both nations.

The participants focused discussions on Vietnam-Japan economic ties in the new phase of a strategic partnership, ways to step up the development of supporting industries in Vietnam , mutually cultural understanding, and bilateral cooperation in training and human resources development.

They also looked into the role of international cooperation in developing nuclear power, sustainable development policy and the use of nuclear energy to ensure energy security and harmony with global environment.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Social Science, emphasised that Japan is currently one of the leading economic partners and biggest provider of official development assistance (ODA) of Vietnam , making up one-third of the country’s foreign aid.

Japan now ranks in the top three foreign investors in Vietnam and sees the highest rate of disbursed investment, Thang said, adding that it has also emerged as one of Vietnam ’s largest export markets.

According to the professor, Vietnam-Japan cooperative relations in other fields such as culture, science, technology, education, training and politics have been expanded.

To help Vietnam escape the “low-income trap” and become a middle-income nation by 2020, Japan has assisted Vietnam in revising its model of growth, especially in developing supporting industries and human resources.

Japan has also supported Vietnam in developing transport infrastructure and is planning to cooperate with the country to build its second nuclear power plant and exploit rare earth oxides./.