Vietnam-Japan relations see positive development

Party Politburo member Truong Tan Sang and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (Source: VNA)

In his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Tokyo on the second day of his Japan visit, Sang, who is also permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, affirmed Vietnamese Party and State’s policies of boosting the “strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia” between the two countries.

He asked the two countries to strengthen high-level visits, expand delegation exchanges, choose 2013 as “Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year” and work together to organise activities to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties.

During the talks, Sang expressed sympathy towards the losses caused by natural disasters to the Japanese people, affirming that Vietnam would do its best to support Japan to overcome difficulties.

He also spoke highly of Japan’s strong provision of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, saying it was a manifestation of Japan ’s goodwill and political commitment to the development of the two nations’ strategic partnership.

Sang said he expected Japan to continue to maintain and increase ODA provision to Vietnam and affirmed that Vietnam would effectively implement the agreements reached during PM Kan’s visit last October.

He also took this occasion to invite the Japanese Emperor, Empress, members of the royal family and PM Kan, to visit Vietnam .

PM Kan thanked the Vietnamese for timely support to Japan and also spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as ASEAN Chair last year.

He also highly value agreements reached between the two countries’ leaders on large-scale projects and joint efforts to implement these projects.

PM Kan committed Japan to working with Vietnam to build programmes to mark the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Meeting with the Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), Kazuo Shii, Sang affirmed Vietnam’s plan to continue to boost cooperation with communist parties and political parties around the world, including increasing theoretical exchanges with the JCP.

Chairman Shii recalled his talks with former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh during his visit to Vietnam in 2007, during which they agreed to lift bilateral ties to a new height, based on three principles: contributing to boosting the two countries’ relations, cooperation for peace and prosperity in Asia and in the world, and conducting theoretical exchanges between the two parties, with the fourth exchange to be conducted in Hanoi this year.

At his meeting with Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Sang stressed that Vietnam was willing to do its utmost to help Japan .

He also affirmed that Vietnam would accelerate the implementation of joint agreements reached between the two leaders during PM Kan’s visit to Vietnam last October.

Minister Noda said Japan would continue to provide ODA for Vietnam as committed, and was willing to help Vietnam complete infrastructural facilities, including an electronic customs system, and improve human resource training.

The same day, Sang had a meeting with chairperson of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Sadako Ogata, during which he thanked the agency for its cooperation in implementing projects in many sectors in Vietnam .

Vietnam has used Japan’s ODA effectively to improve infrastructure and human resource training, Sang said, asking JICA to cooperate more in human resource training with Vietnam by setting up vocational schools.

For her part, Ogata committed to continued assistance to Vietnam in improving infrastructure and human resource training.