Vietnam hopes to further deepen the friendship and multi-dimensional cooperation with Japan, considering this one of the top priorities of the country’s foreign affairs policy.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai made the statement while receiving Chairwoman of the Japanese Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence Katayama Satsuki in Hanoi on January 20.
He said he was glad to witness the growing relations between Vietnam and Japan in various fields, ranging from politics, economics, culture, to education, science-technology and national defence-security.
It is noteworthy that the two countries lifted their relations to bilateral strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in March 2014, he said.
“Cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is experiencing the best time since the two countries established diplomatic ties,” he stressed.
He went on to say that Japan is an important partner of Vietnam in the field of economics, and the biggest official development assistance (ODA) provider, adding that the bilateral economic links have made active contributions to the socio-economic development in Vietnam and brought benefits to Japanese businesses.
He thanked the Japanese Government, parliament and people for their ODA provision over the past two decades for many significant projects, citing the latest T2 terminal at Noi Bai International Airport and Nhat Tan bridge.
The leader said he hopes the two countries will promote trade and investment links in the time ahead since the pair are jointly implementing the industrialisation strategy and making progress in regional economic connection such as the formation of an ASEAN Community and the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
Satsuki said Japan always supports Vietnam’s implementation of economic cooperation pacts, including infrastructure and energy projects, and continues ODA provision for the country’s sustainable development.
She said she hopes the Vietnamese Government will facilitate Japanese companies’ investments and operations, as well as their further coordination in other fields such as infrastructure building, human resources training, support industry, and agriculture.
The same day, Satsuki was received by Chairman of the National Committee for Defence and Security Nguyen Kim Khoa, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee Nguyen Van Giau, and Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Tran Van Hang.-VNA
