PM Chính meets Japan’s former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide during the latter's visit to Việt Nam on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has suggested Japan’s former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide support the implementation of agreements between the two countries including strategic infrastructure development, green transition cooperation and climate change adaptation.

He made the statement during the latter’s visit to Việt Nam on Monday.

He said he hoped Japanese companies will consider Việt Nam an important base for production and investment, especially in areas such as high technology, green economy, energy transition, and human resources training.

On this occasion, the PM also suggested the former leader raise his voice so Việt Nam and Japan join the negotiation and handle the issues related to Nghi Sơn oil refinery plant on the basis of interest harmony and risk sharing.

PM Chính said the two sides should also strengthen people-to-people exchange, and tourism activities while thanking the Japanese side for continuing to create favourable conditions for nearly 500,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working in Japan.

PM Chính highly valued Suga’s selection of Việt Nam as the destination for his first trip abroad in October 2020 right after he took office as the PM of Japan, as well as his role as the advisor to the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance.

He thanked the Government, people, businesses and organisations of Japan for their cooperation and assistance as well as engagement in Việt Nam’s development.

The leader affirmed that Việt Nam always supports Japan’s role and positive contributions to peace and development in the region and the world, expressing his hope that Japan will continue such contributions.

PM Chính took this occasion to thank the former Japanese PM, the Government and people of Japan for providing Việt Nam with more than 7.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, contributing to helping Việt Nam overcome the most difficult time in the fight against the pandemic and achieve positive results in socio-economic development in 2022.

Both sides agreed that the Việt Nam-Japan relationship is in its prime with high political efficiency and regular delegation exchanges even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, Vietnamese and Japanese PMs had four meetings, while progress was seen in many agreements. The two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2023, which is an important milestone marking a new development period of their intensive strategic partnership, they said.

PM Chính said he hopes former PM Suga will continue his support and contributions to the growth of Việt Nam-Japan ties. He said that the two sides should increase the exchange of delegations this year, while strengthening defence-security cooperation and promoting partnership in all fields. He said he hopes Japan will assist Việt Nam in industrialisation and modernisation as well as building an independent and self-reliant economy and international integration.

For his part, Suga affirmed his special sentiments towards the nation and people of Việt Nam, and hailed the role of PM Chính in promoting ties between the two countries.

He highlighted that Japan considers Việt Nam a key partner in its free and open Indo-Pacific strategy, and pledged that he will continue to contribute to lifting the bilateral extensive strategic partnership to a new height.

He said he hopes the two sides will continue to bolster cooperation in ODA, holding that Japanese businesses are interested in the promising Vietnamese market. He suggested the two sides continue to promote collaboration in trade and investment, climate change response, renewable energy, and the development of the Japan-Vietnam University, as well as in the trade of farm produce, along with security-defence.

At the meeting, the two sides also discussed regional and global issues of mutual concern, and underlined the necessity of upholding the law and multilateralism in international relations for peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world, as well as the ensuring of peace, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the sea, as well as the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law. VNS