TOKYO — Vietnamese and Japanese Prime Ministers, Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Shinzo Abe, yesterday agreed on major orientations and specific measures to strengthen bilateral ties in a more comprehensive, practical and effective manner.

In talks held in Tokyo, PM Phúc affirmed that Việt Nam has consistently considered Japan a top, long-term economic partner and attaches great importance to bilateral strategic co-operation.

Returning the compliment, PM Abe said Japan highly valued Việt Nam’s increasingly important role in the region and the world, and pledged to provide strong support for Việt Nam’s development from Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises, corporations and research institutes.

The two leaders highly evaluated the first State visit to Việt Nam by the Japanese Emperor and Empress. They agreed to strengthen political trust, maintain regular high-level visits and meetings, and improve the efficiency of the existing dialogue mechanisms.

Abe promised full support for Việt Nam in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in the central city of Đà Nẵng this November.

Both sides said they were committed to collaborating on national defence and security issues, the United Nations peacekeeping mission as well as post-war recovery efforts.

They vowed to promote economic connectivity by extending links in investment, trade, official development assistance (ODA), high-tech agriculture and development of human resources.

They also agreed to promote Japanese investment in Việt Nam by effectively launching the sixth stage of the Việt Nam – Japan Joint Initiative and strengthening public-private partnerships.

The two nations would co-operate closely to launch action plans for six sectors named in Việt Nam’s industrialisation strategy within the Việt Nam–Japan co-operation framework until 2020, the PMs said.

They also reached agreement on speeding up major infrastructure projects like the North-South Highway, Hoà Lạc High-Tech Park and an urban railway network in Hà Nội.

The fourth high-level dialogue on agriculture would be held soon this year and procedures to facilitate Vietnamese litchi and longan’s access to Japan and Japanese orange and tangerine’s entry into Vietnam would be accelerated, they said.

The leaders agreed to enhance co-operation across diverse fields, from education, human resources training and locality-to-locality ties.

Abe affirmed Japan’s support for Việt Nam in implementing a project to improve operations of the political system and train managerial cadre at all levels, particularly those in strategic positions. Japan would initially train 800 Vietnamese Master and Doctorate degree holders in the next five years.

The leaders also agreed to promote cultural, sports and people-to-people exchanges while working closely together to celebrate the 45^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2018.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they vowed close co-ordination at multilateral forums such as ASEAN, APEC, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the United Nations.

On the East Sea issue, they underscored the importance of ensuring peace, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, and called on all parties concerned to refrain from unilateral actions, including militarising, changing the status quo, complicating and extending the disputes. They also called for the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, fully respecting diplomatic and legal processes in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

All stakeholders should fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and expedite realisation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), the two leaders said.

After their talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of 14 documents between Vietnamese and Japanese ministries and agencies.

The documents included diplomatic notes for the exchange of four official development assistance (ODA) projects worth JPY 100.3 billion (roughly US$912 million), and for the exchange of three nonrefundable aid projects valued at JPY 2.93 billion ($26.6 million). These projects cover emergency operations of reservoirs and effective flood management through the inclusive natural disaster management information system; and the Human Resources Development Scholarship Programme in 2017 and 2018.

The two leaders then informed the press of major outcomes of their talks. They stressed that the two sides shared important common perceptions on deepening the Việt Nam – Japan extensive strategic partnership across many fields.

This would be done by enhancing mutual political trust, promoting economic ties and closely cooperating with each other on regional and international issues of shared concern, they said.

PM Shinzo Abe said Japan, with its advanced technologies and experience, would contribute to building high-quality infrastructure, improving the investment environment and developing human resources in Việt Nam, creating business opportunities for mutual benefit.

On the current anti-globalisation and protectionism trend, the Japanese PM pledged that he would work together with his Vietnamese counterpart to push free trade and investment.

Japan would comprehensively support Việt Nam’s hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November, he reiterated.

The two countries would also join hands with each other to materialise the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Việt Nam’s PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s determination to effectively use Japanese ODA, build a transparent investment environment, create optimal conditions for Japanese investors and seriously implement commitments made at the investment promotion conference on June 5.

During the PM’s visit, the two countries’ ministries, agencies and localities signed 43 foreign direct investment (FDI) documents valued at over $22 billion.

“Việt Nam welcomes and backs Japan’s initiatives to ensure economic prosperity, freedom of trade and maritime safety on the basis of respect for the UN Charter and international law; as well as the independence and sovereignty of countries.” This would promote peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world, the PM said. — VNS 

Editor’s Note: The full text of the Joint Statement issued on the occasion of Prime Minister Phúc’s visit to Japan is available on the Viet Nam News website.