Vietnam regards Japan as one of its most important partners, thus it places importance on developing its strategic partnership with Japan, for peace and prosperity in Asia, State President Nguyen Minh Triet has said.

Meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in New York on Sept. 24, the Vietnamese State President congratulated the Japanese leader on his new position, stressing that the two countries’ comprehensive partnership is well developed.

He thanked the Japanese government and people for their positive support for Vietnam, especially via official development assistance (ODA), in the latter’s renewal process, national development and international integration.

President Triet said he believed that under the leadership of PM Yukio Hatoyama and his new cabinet, Vietnam-Japan relations will further develop for the benefit of both countries, for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole.

He also affirmed Vietnam’s support to Japan’s candidacy as a permanent member of the expanded UN Security Council.

Agreeing with President Triet’s assessment, PM Yukio Hatoyama emphasised that the new Japanese government attaches importance to developing ties with Vietnam .

Praising Vietnam ’s development potential, the Japanese PM pledged that his government will make efforts to boost relations between the two countries, in politics, economy and other areas, within the framework of a strategic partnership.

Japan will speed up the implementation of large-scale projects in Vietnam, including the North-South express railway and road, and the Hoa Lac hi-tech park, he said, adding that his country is willing to receive more Vietnamese students to go to Japan for further study.

The Japanese PM spoke highly of Vietnam ’s efforts in overcoming the negative impacts of the global economic crisis and also announced that the Japanese government will provide the Southeast Asian country with a 500 million USD credit to help it through the tough period.

Meeting Austrian President Heinz Fisher the same day, President Triet said that Vietnam and Austria need to collaborate and support each other in international forums, as the two countries are non-permanent members of the UNSC and Vietnam will take ASEAN chairmanship next year.

He asked Austria for support of Vietnam’s negotiations for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union and in persuading the European Commission to soon recognise Vietnam as a market economy.

The Austrian President lauded Vietnam’s position in the region and the world at large.

He said he believed that as a UNSC non-permanent member and the upcoming ASEAN chairman, Vietnam will uphold its position to contribute to peace and development regionally and internationally.

Meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, both Presidents, Nguyen Minh Triet and Hugo Chavez agreed that Vietnam and Venezuela have the potential for further economic development.

The two sides also came to agreement on increasing South-South economics to improve the role of developing countries.

President Hugo Chavez said apart from cooperation in oil and gas, Venezuela wished to increase ties with Vietnam in many other fields, especially in agriculture and industry.

President Triet also received UNDP General Director Helen Clark, New Zealand’s former Prime Minister.

Vietnam will be a pioneer in implementing the “One UN Initiative,” he said and also asked the UNDP for further support for Vietnam in economic development and the implementation of UN initiatives.

General Director Helen Clark made a pledge that UNDP would provide further support to Vietnam during its development process and increase cooperation between the UNDP and ASEAN.

President Triet met UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the UNSC, where they expressed pleasure at the development of bilateral cooperation.

PM Gordon Brown highly valued Vietnam’s achievements in national development and thanked the country for its support in international forums.

President Nguyen Minh Triet also attended the fifth regular meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) foundation.

Initiated by former US President Bill Clinton, CGI was established in Sept. 2005 and has helped provide Anti-retroviral Virus (ARV) medicine for the treatment of 1,750 HIV/AIDS infected children in Vietnam .

Together with PEPFAR Vietnam, CGI has offered treatment to pregnant women for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Earlier, President Triet had working session with representatives of the US business community.

The same day, Vietnam and Estonia signed an agreement on investment promotion and protection./.