HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday announced official visits broad to be made by Vietnamese leaders next week.

At the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc will attend the 10^th Mekong-Japan Summit and visit Japan from October 7 to 10, the ministry’s spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng said at a press briefing.

The 10^th Mekong-Japan Summit marks the tenth year of Mekong-Japan co-operation and the third year of the 2015 Tokyo strategy.

The participation of Vietnamese delegation to the summit aims to affirm Việt Nam’s commitment to this co-operation mechanism, to assess experience obtained over the past 10 years and to work out plans to enhance co-operation, she said.

The visit to Japan of Prime Minister Phúc takes place with the two countries celebrating 45^th anniversary of diplomatic ties and aims at tightening the Việt Nam-Japan extensive strategic partnership.

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân will lead a Vietnamese NA delegation to attend the third meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments in Antalya City, Turkey and pay an official visit to Turkey between October 7 and 12.

The visit will be made at the invitation of Chairman of the State Duma of Russia and Speaker of NA of Republic of Korea, two founders of the meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments, and at the invitation of Speaker of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, the ministry announced.

Ngân’s visit to Turkey, also her first visit and the highest level visit of Vietnamese Party and State leaders to the country, takes place on the occasion of 40^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Turkey.

Themed economic, environmental co-operation and sustainable development, the Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments meeting will discuss regional co-operation in Asia and Europe, with priority given to economic environmental issues.

The participation of the Vietnamese NA is to affirm Việt Nam’s commitment of taking part in multilateral parliamentary activities and to enhance co-operation between the Vietnamese NA and other Eurasian parliaments.

The ministry also announced Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh will visit the UK and attend the 17^th La Francophonie Summit in Armenia from October 9 to 12.

Responding to reporter’s queries over the live-fire exercise being conducted in the East Sea (South China Sea) by five countries — Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK, spokesperson Hằng said “Maintenance of peace, stability, safety, freedom of navigation and freedom of over flight in the East Sea are common interests and responsibilities of all countries within and beyond of region.”

Việt Nam believes that all activities in the East Sea conducted by countries should make active and constructive contributions to reach that goal on the basis of the respect of international laws including the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea 1982, she said. — VNS