Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko had talks in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko in Hà Nội on Tuesday, highly valuing his guest’s contributions to the two countries’ relations on different posts she has held over the past years.

Congratulating Kamikawa on her appointment as Foreign Minister of Japan, PM Chính expressed his delight at the increasingly strong, effective, and comprehensive development of the Việt Nam-Japan bilateral friendship and cooperation.

He spoke highly of the activities being organised in both countries to mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, which have helped enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, and proposed that both sides promote mutual visits and meetings between their leaders.

The Government leader called on Japan to assist Việt Nam in the building of an independent and self-reliant economy and the implementation of industrialisation and modernisation, while providing new-generation official development assistance (ODA) for large-scale strategic infrastructure projects such as road and railway ones in Việt Nam.

Appreciating the Japanese Government’s ODA for Việt Nam in the recent past, he said both sides should coordinate closely to accelerate the urban railway projects in Hà Nội and HCM City, along with the construction of the HCM City-based Chợ Rẫy Hospital’s second facility.

The Government of Việt Nam will continue perfecting the investment climate, regulations, policies and infrastructure and developing high-quality human resources, he noted, asking the Japanese Government to provide conditions for Vietnamese businesses to engage more deeply in global supply chains of Japan.

The PM also suggested Japan consider simplifying entry procedures for Vietnamese citizens and exempting income and residence taxes for Vietnamese trainees working in the Northeast Asian country.

For her part, Kamikawa affirmed Japan’s support for Việt Nam to realise the goal of becoming a developed and high-income country by 2045. She also underlined her country’s commitment to strengthen ties in such fields as green transition, digital transformation and climate change response, and encourage Japanese businesses to continue investing in Việt Nam.

Stressing the Japanese Government’s priority for cooperation in manpower training with Việt Nam, the minister voiced her hope that the two sides will work together to turn the Việt Nam-Japan University into a symbol of bilateral relations.

She also highly valued the role and contributions by the nearly 500,000 Vietnamese people in Japan to local socio-economic development, stating that the Japanese Government will continue creating the best possible conditions for the community to live, study, and work in the country.

With regard to international and regional issues, PM Chính shared his guest’s opinions and suggested that the two countries keep exchanging views and coordinating closely in international and regional issues for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation, and development.

He added that Việt Nam supports and will work closely with Japan to ensure success for the ASEAN - Japan commemorative summit in late 2023. — VNS