Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) had talks with former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

TOKYO — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had separate meetings with former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Tokyo on Monday within the framework of his trip to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

Meeting former Japanese Prime Minister Suga, who is advisor to the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, PM Chinh highly valued the sentiments that the former PM has given Việt Nam as well as his contributions to Việt Nam-Japan relations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with Japan’s provision of 7.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam as non-refundable aid.

He said he hopes the former Japanese PM will continue to work to realise the Việt Nam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership into specific programmes and projects with practical efficiency.

PM Chính proposed that Suga assist the strengthening of economic connections and cooperation in trade, investment, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange between the two countries, as well as bilateral collaboration in new areas such as digital transformation, innovation, climate change, energy transition, green transition, circular economy and shared economy.

The Vietnamese leader suggested that Suga support and accelerate the Japan side to re-provide new-generation ODA loans for Việt Nam with simpler and more flexible procedures.  

For his part, former Japanese PM Suga lauded the sound development of the Việt Nam-Japan relations with the elevation of ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. He said that the Vietnamese PM’s trip to Japan will help open up a new period of development for bilateral relations.

He highly valued the increase in number and contributions of Vietnamese workers in Japan, underlining that the two sides should work more closely together to overcome social challenges for sustainable development.

Suga affirmed that he is willing to continue accompanying and collaborating with Việt Nam to further foster the friendship between the two countries, and encouraging businesses of the two sides to promote cooperation in trade, investment and labour.

At the meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, PM Chính shared his counterpart’s delight at a bustling year with activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 10-year strategic partnership between the two countries, especially with high-level delegation exchange.

PM Lee spoke highly of Việt Nam's external relations and economic management, showing through the impressive economic outcomes in many fields, creating a firm foundation for development in following years.

The two sides agreed to promote the effective implementation of high-level agreements, facilitating cooperation in trade, investment, clean energy, education-training, and people-to-people exchange. They concurred to discuss contents regarding the elevation of the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time.

The two PMs also concurred to specify the Partnership in Green Economy-Digital Economy, while expanding the network of Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) to more localities of Việt Nam, and encouraging the transformation of traditional VSIP to Việt Nam-Singapore Energy Project (VSEP) that are smarter and greener with lower carbon emissions. — VNS