Japanese Emperor Akihito visits Việt Nam in 2017. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc will attend the coronation ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo from October 22-23 at the invitation of Japanese Government.

The PM’s attendance reflects Việt Nam’s appreciation for the Việt Nam – Japan extensive strategic partnership and significant progress in bilateral ties.

Việt Nam and Japan established diplomatic ties on September 21, 1973. During a State visit to Japan by President Trương Tấn Sang in March 2014, the two countries upgraded ties to the level of extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.

Their leaders maintained regular visits and exchanges at regional and global forums, with Emperor Akihito’s Việt Nam visit in 2017, President Trần Đại Quang’s Japan visit in May 2018, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s attendance at the G7 Summit in May 2016, official visit in June 2017, and presence at the Mekong – Japan Summit in October 2018.

Both sides held a number of meetings of the Việt Nam – Japan Cooperation Committee, the Việt Nam – Japan strategic partnership dialogue on diplomacy – security – national defence at the deputy ministerial level, the deputy ministerial-level national defence policy dialogue, the deputy ministerial-level security dialogue, the Joint Committee on Trade, Energy and Industry, the ministerial-level agriculture dialogue.

Last year, Japan was Việt Nam’s top important economic partner, the largest supplier of Official Development Assistance (ODA), the second largest investor and the fourth largest trade partner. Two-way trade reached US$29.16 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 5.6 per cent annually. Of the figure, $14.98 billion was Việt Nam’s exports, up 8 per cent year-on-year and the remaining up 3.3 per cent.

As of September 2019, Japan had more than 4,200 valid projects worth $60.36 billion in Việt Nam, ranking second among 132 countries and territories investing in the country.

In 2018, the two countries signed three diplomatic notes on the exchange of non-refundable aid worth around $34 million. Japan committed a loan of roughly $142 million to vocational training in Việt Nam.

Since 1992, Việt Nam has sent a number of trainees to Japan, becoming the largest source of trainees for the country with about 160,000 people. Việt Nam sent 470 nurses and caregivers to Japan under a Memorandum of Understanding on Japan’s reception of Vietnamese health workers. — VNS