Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio. (Photo: VNA) Tokyo (VNA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Japanesecounterpart Kishida Fumio in Tokyo on December 16, as part of his trip to attend theCommemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship andCooperation and have bilateral activities in the East Asian country.
This was the sixth talks between the two government leaders in the past two yearsand the second in 2023.
PM Kishida thanked PM Chinh’s attendance at the summit andbelieved that the Vietnamese delegation’s active contributions will play asignificant role in the general success of the event.
The two leaders agreed to direct ministries and agencies torealise the contents of the Joint Statement on theelevation of the Vietnam-Japan relations to a Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity inAsia and the world, which was approved by senior leaders of the two countries in lateNovember.
They shared common perceptions on jointly consolidating politicaltrust, increasingannual high-level exchanges and meetings through the Party, Government andNational Assembly channels while enhancing practical and effective defence cooperationvia the effective implementation of signed cooperation agreements.
Speaking highly of the positive progress in numerous key economic projects betweenthe two countries in recent years, as well as official developmentassistance (ODA) reaching over 100 billion JPY in 2023 for the first time since2017, they committed to ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral economic connectivity,ensure economic security, and establish a joint coordinating group between thetwo governments to step up the progress and efficiency of underway economicprojects, including the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex.
PM Chinh proposed Japan continue supplying new-generation ODAloans for strategic infrastructure development projects in Vietnam, such as theNorth-South high-speed railway project, urban railways, supporting industries, newindustrial zones, climate change adaptation, digital transformation, green transition,health care, and more.
He called for support to facilitate Vietnamese businesses'participation in the global supply chains of Japanese enterprises, particularlyin the fields of automobile, electronics, health care and apparel; and streamline inspectionprocedures to open the market for Vietnamese pomelos and Japanese grapes.
PM Kishida, for his part, expressed his wish that the two countries would develop together and contribute to thecommon development of the region.
Japan will continue assisting Vietnam in industrialisation and modernisation, and building an independent, self-reliant economy that deeplyintegrates into the global community, towards successfully realising itsindustrialisation and modernisation strategy, he noted.
The two PMs agreed to expand cooperation in green transition and climate change adaptation through practical projects.
PM Kishida promised to promote collaboration with Vietnam in energy transition and emissions reduction through the Asia Zero Emission Community Initiative (AZEC) launched by Japan.
Both leaders agreed to further enhance workforce training collaboration, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, locality-to-locality cooperation, and tourism.
PM Chinh suggested that Japan continue to create favourable conditions, relax entry requirements, and move towards visa exemptions for Vietnamese citizens entering Japan.
Meanwhile, PM Kishida affirmed that Vietnam's workforce, including high-quality labourers and skilled apprentices, is indispensable for Japan's socio-economic development. Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the upcoming organisation of a specific skills exam for apprentices in Vietnam.
The two leaders affirmed their commitments to continue close coordination on regional and international issues of mutual concerns, positively contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. PM Chinh spoke highly of Japan's hosting of a AZEC high-level conference within the framework of the ASEAN-Japan commemorative summit.
On this occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries, which involved the fourth loan agreement for Ho Chi Minh City's urban railway construction project, the Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) project, and the equipment supply project for Vietnam’s K Hospital with a total sum of 42.3 billion JPY (nearly 300 million USD).
Also on December 16, PM Chinh received leaders of several leading Japanese economic groups operating in the fields of health, energy and oil and gas.
At a meeting with Takagi Kuninori, Chairman of the International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW), the Vietnamese Government leader praised Takagi's efforts in promoting IUHW’s cooperation with and support for Vietnam in healthcare human resources development, which covered effective and practical collaboration projects with Vietnamese healthcare institutions such as the Cho Ray and 108 Military Central Hospitals as well as scholarships granted to Vietnamese medical students. He hoped such cooperation and assistance will continue in the time to come.
Takagi highly lauded Vietnam's efforts in pandemic prevention, economic recovery, and development. He expressed his wish to continue collaboration with Vietnam in the field of medical student training in Japan. Additionally, the Japanese group plans to build a big and modern hospital to provide medical examinations, treatment, and healthcare services for Vietnamese people.
Welcoming IUHW's plan, PM Chinh stressed the Vietnamese Government's support for the project. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and local authorities will facilitate the implementation of the project.
The PM also received President and CEO Hidenori Harada and key leaders of Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. (MOECO) – a global investment and trading conglomerate involved in resource exploitation, energy, equipment, chemicals, food, textiles, and finance. MOECO is one of the investor consortium for Vietnam's 6.6 billion USD Block B - O Mon gas project.
At the exchange of cooperation agreements. (Photo: VNA)
PM Chinh commended MOECO for its efforts and collaboration over the past 20 years in overcoming challenges related to the gas project. He urged the business to continue close cooperation with its partners to soon put the project into operation, with the latest deadline set for 2026.
PM Chinh suggested MOECO expand its operations in Vietnam, particularly in the areas of its strength such as equipment manufacturing and step up the transfer of technology to Vietnamese partners to help Vietnam deeply join global and regional supply chains.
In the afternoon of the same day, PM Chinh hosted a reception for Executive Vice President and CEO Susumu Nibuya and other leaders of Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., which is a leading energy conglomerate in Japan, currently owning and operating seven oil refinery plants in Japan.
While promising all possible support to Japanese firms and Idemitsu in particular, the PM suggested the Group and partners collaborate on governance, financial and input fuel restructuring along with developing efficient operational processes, applying modern technology and ensuring security, safety and environmental protection./.
