Speaker of Japan's House of Representatives Mori Eisuke (right) had a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu in Tokyo on January 10. — VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO — Việt Nam regards Japan as one of its most important partners and a sincere, trusted friend accompanying the country into a new era of development, Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu affirmed during his meeting with Speaker of Japan's House of Representatives Mori Eisuke on Wednesday.

The meeting took place during the Deputy PM’s visit to Japan and attendance at the 31st Future of Asia Conference in Tokyo.

Welcoming the increasingly substantive progress in the Việt Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the close cooperation between the two legislatures, Châu described Japan as one of Việt Nam's leading economic partners. Japan remains Việt Nam's largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) and its top partner in labour cooperation, while ranking third in investment and fourth in trade and tourism. Cooperation between localities and people-to-people exchanges has also continued to flourish, Chau noted.

Expressing appreciation for the support extended by Speaker Mori, the Japanese parliament, and the Japan–Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, Deputy PM Châu conveyed greetings from National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and relayed his invitation to the Japanese lower house leader to visit Vietnam in the near future.

Sharing Việt Nam's two goals of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045 and sustaining double-digit economic growth, the Deputy PM called for stronger political trust and more frequent high-level exchanges. He underscored the role of legislative bodies in translating high-level commitments into action and establishing a favourable legal framework to facilitate bilateral economic cooperation.

He proposed stepping up exchanges between specialised committees of the two parliaments and between the two justice ministries, while expanding cooperation in high-quality human resources development, partnerships between localities, and people-to-people ties. He called for closer coordination on regional and international issues of shared interest.

The Deputy PM urged Japan's parliament to support the continued simplification of visa procedures and work towards visa exemptions for Vietnamese citizens to promote tourism and interpersonal exchanges. He also called on Japan to maintain favourable conditions for the nearly 700,000 Vietnamese people living, studying, and working in the country.

For his part, Speaker Mori reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the Việt Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly in judicial cooperation and institutional development.

Emphasising the importance of sustained high-level engagement, he proposed expanding exchanges between senior leaders, parliamentary agencies, specialised committees, and friendship parliamentarians through various channels.

Mori said stronger links between localities and closer people-to-people exchanges, alongside high-level contacts, will be key to ensuring the long-term vitality and sustainability of Việt Nam–Japan friendship and cooperation.

Praising the contributions of the Vietnamese community to Japan's socio-economic development, he affirmed that Japan will continue to foster an inclusive and supportive environment to help Vietnamese residents enjoy stable and fulfilling lives. He also expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation between Japanese localities, particularly Chiba Prefecture, his hometown, and their counterparts in Việt Nam.

The Speaker added that he hoped to visit Việt Nam soon and would make every effort to arrange the trip in the near future. — VNA/VNS