Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn held official talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa in Hà Nội on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Japan should deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership by focusing on the effective implementation of new-generation ODA for significant strategic infrastructure development projects in Việt Nam and by simplifying visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens travelling to Japan.

During the talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Kamikawa Yoko, who paid a two-day official visit to Việt Nam on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn welcomed Minister Kamikawa's visit, especially in the context of celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Highlighting the significance of choosing Việt Nam as one of the first countries to visit after assuming the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs on September 13, 2023, Minister Kamikawa said that Japan valued and desired to further strengthen the comprehensive development of the two countries' relations in all fields.

Both sides reviewed the outstanding achievements of the Việt Nam-Japan relationship over the past 50 years and expressed delight at the remarkable progress in all areas. They engaged in open and substantial discussions on the direction and measures to maintain the development momentum of the bilateral relationship and elevate it to new heights in the coming era.

The two ministers agreed to continue coordinating to promote high-level exchanges, including visits by top leaders of both countries. They also agreed to emphasise economic cooperation, local collaboration, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation in new areas.

Minister Sơn proposed accelerating and efficiently implementing new-generation ODA for Việt Nam's large-scale strategic infrastructure development projects. He also suggested that Japan support Vietnamese businesses in deepening their involvement in the global value chain with Japanese partners.

He also recommended that Japan take measures to create favourable conditions and simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens, including considering placing Việt Nam on the list of countries eligible for e-visas, granting long-term visas (5-10 years) to Vietnamese nationals who have visited Japan multiple times without violating the law, and gradually moving toward visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens.

Minister Kamikawa affirmed that Japan would enhance its support for Việt Nam in realising its long-term strategic goals by 2030-2045. This included a focus on revitalising ODA cooperation, with a strategic emphasis on infrastructure development, expanding investment and trade cooperation, and viewing Việt Nam as an important market and partner with significant potential.

Japan expressed its desire for Việt Nam to continue improving its investment environment to attract more Japanese investors and to cooperate in new areas such as digital transformation and green energy, as well as in high-quality human resource training.

Minister Kamikawa also highly appreciated the role and positive contributions of the Vietnamese community in Japan and expressed the intention to enhance people-to-people exchanges. She stated that Japan would actively consider facilitating the entry of Vietnamese citizens into Japan.

Both sides also exchanged views on recent notable regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to close cooperation and contributions to the peace and stability of the region and continue supporting each other in multilateral forums and international organisations. — VNS