TOKYO – Việt Nam’s Ambassador to Japan Nguyễn Quốc Cường said he hopes Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s official visit to Japan from June 4-8 will create a new wave of Japanese investment in Việt Nam, especially considering the major economic content of the visit.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of PM Phúc’s Japan trip, the diplomat said the leader’s visit and his attendance at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia hosted by Nikkei newspaper on June 5-6 are significant to the Việt Nam-Japan friendship, both regionally and globally.

The Vietnamese PM has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the event’s opening session, which demonstrates that the organising board and Japan attach importance to the role and voice of Việt Nam amidst an evolving world, Cường said.

He added that it will also be a great opportunity for the Vietnamese Government leader to send out a message: that Việt Nam that is proactive and responsible for regional and international peace, stability and development, and is integrating intensively into the world, helping open new opportunities for cooperation with foreign partners and countries, including those from Japan.

PM Phúc will be accompanied by leaders of ministries, agencies, localities and major businesses, the diplomat said.

During the visit, the PM is scheduled to hold talks and meet with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Emperor Akihito, parliamentary leaders, several prefecture governors and representatives of big economic groups and small-and medium-sized enterprises, which reflect the great interest in Việt Nam of not only the central and local administrations but also different circles and socio-economic organisations, according to the Ambassador.

He emphasised that enhancing bilateral economic, trade and investment ties is a major purpose of PM Phúc’s visit.

The Government leader is set to have working sessions with many big Japanese groups in finance, banking, technology, manufacturing and computers. He will visit headquarters and production facilities of companies and groups that want to invest in Vietnam.

The PM will meet with leaders of important economic organisations, like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidaren) to discuss orientations for cooperation in official development assistance (ODA), trade and investment between the two countries.

Of note, he will attend the Việt Nam-Japan Economic Forum themed “Looking toward a new era of Việt Nam-Japan economic co-operation.” This is the biggest-ever business event between the two countries, with the participation of about 1,500 delegates from 1,300 Japanese companies and over 100 Vietnamese businesses.

The forum’s scale has mirrored the attention of the Japanese Government and businesses to potential for cooperation, business and investment in Việt Nam, the ambassador said.

At the forum, the PM will introduce Việt Nam’s increasingly open and transparent business environment and its efforts to build a growth-facilitating Government.

The ambassador also noted that Vietnamese and Japanese firms and localities are expected to sign many projects and contracts valued at tens of billions of US dollars during the PM’s visit. — VNS