Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura Yasutoshi in Hanoi on November 3, affirming that Vietnam always views the Northeast Asian country as a trustworthy, leading important and long-term partner.
Both host and guest noted with satisfaction the strong and substantive development of the Vietnam - Japan extensive strategic partnership in multiple areas. They expressed their hope to further intensify the fruitful relations in all fields to contribute to regional and international peace, cooperation, and development.
PM Chinh asked the two sides to keep enhancing political trust via mutual visits and meetings at high and ministerial/sectoral levels; increase cooperation between the countries’ localities and businesses; promote people-to-people exchanges, including via Japan’s consideration of an opener visa policy for Vietnamese people; and create favourable conditions for the nearly 500,000 Vietnamese to live, study and work in Japan.
He called for Japan’s support for Vietnam to carry out industrialisation and modernisation, and build an independent and self-reliant economy with proactive, extensive, substantive and effective integration into the world.
The Government leader suggested Japan assist Vietnam in boosting green transition, digital transformation and innovation; developing high technology and semiconductor industries; and fostering the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical equipment sectors to serve public health care.
He also asked Japan to assist the Southeast Asian nation to survey, mine, process and produce new materials; create conditions for Vietnamese businesses to engage more deeply in global supply chains of Japan; continue opening its market to agricultural and aquatic products of Vietnam, especially fresh fruits; build and perfect regulations; train human resources; and transfer technology and capital to help with the development of different fields.
In particular, PM Chinh called for the Japanese Government’s support and provision of new-generation official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam to develop large-scale strategic infrastructure facilities such as the North - South high-speed railway project.
Informing the PM about the outcomes of the sixth meeting of the countries’ Joint Committee for industrial, trade and energy cooperation held the same day, Minister Nishimura said his country supports Vietnam’s targets of becoming a modern and industrialised country by 2045, securing net zero emissions by 2050, and developing future-oriented industries. He suggested Vietnam support the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiated by Japan.
Agreeing with his host’s opinions, he said Japan will work closely with ministries, sectors, and agencies of Vietnam via working groups to foster ties in different areas, especially science - technology transfer and manpower training, along with via cooperation at multilateral mechanisms, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Japan will reserve resources for implementing “locomotive” projects that lead the development of spearhead industries such as semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and fishery processing, he noted, adding that his country also wishes to cooperate with Vietnam in surveying, exploiting and processing rare earth and developing related industries.
PM Chinh spoke highly of the outcomes of the Joint Committee’s sixth meeting as well as the establishment of working groups to step up cooperation, asking the two sides to effectively carry out the meeting’s joint statement.
He affirmed Vietnam’s encouragement and optimal conditions for Japanese firms to invest and cooperate in the country for the sake of sustainable development and interests of both sides. It will keep coordinating closely and effectively implementing AZEC, initiated by Japanese PM Kishida Fumio, to contribute to the success of this initiative./.
