New York (VNA) – Vietnam attaches great importance to the increasingly close and effective Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Japan, as well as the close and foundational ties between their Communist Parties, Ambassador Do Hung Viet has said.
Viet, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, made the statement in New York on April 29 while receiving Shii Kazuo, Chairman of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) for discussions on the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon 11).
Also in attendance were Ogata Yasuo, Vice Chairman of the JCP Central Committee, and Kira Yoshiko, a member of the JCP Central Committee and the House of Councillors.
At the meeting, Shii Kazuo expressed his delight at the close and friendly relations between the two Communist Parties and their leaders. The JCP leader shared his special affection for Vietnam, his attention to Agent Orange/dioxin victims, and his desire to further contribute to the development of people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Regarding the NPT RevCon 11, he voiced confidence that Vietnam’s prestige, position, and capacity, in its role as Chair, would help the conference achieve positive outcomes. Expressing concern over the consequences of weapons of mass destruction, including the impacts of Agent Orange that he had personally witnessed in Vietnam, Shii Kazuo said he hopes both sides will continue to strengthen cooperation in disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation in the time ahead.
Talking about the priorities the JCP seeks to advance at this year’s conference, he expressed interest in learning more about several key issues, including the Chair’s approach, the drafting process, and the prospects for adopting a consensus outcome document.
Sharing concerns over the current complex international context, the Vietnamese diplomat affirmed Vietnam’s determination, together with Japan and other NPT member states, to work towards substantive and balanced outcomes at the NPT RevCon 11. He took the occasion to thank the Government of Japan, the JCP, and various circles in Japan for their strong support for the conference and the anti-nuclear weapons movement, and suggested that both sides continue close coordination on this issue in the time ahead.
The JCP, founded on July 15, 1922, is one of the oldest and largest political parties in Japan. The Party operates on the basis of scientific socialism/communism, pursues a path of peaceful democracy, and maintains an independent stance. Although not in power, it currently has a large membership and exerts considerable political influence./.
