HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu expressed their delight at the development of the Việt Nam-Japan extensive strategic partnership during talks in Hà Nội on Monday.

They agreed to enhance political trust via maintaining regular visits, exchanges and dialogues at all levels while bringing into full play the efficiency of existing co-operation and dialogue mechanisms.

Informing his guest of Việt Nam’s priorities for internal and external relations in 2020, Minh noted the country’s policy of taking Japan as a partner of top significance. He also invited his guest to ASEAN-related meetings in Việt Nam this year.

Toshimitsu, for his part, wished to deepen the Japan-Việt Nam partnership.

He said Japan will work closely with Việt Nam to help the country successfully undertake the role of ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-21 tenure.

Both sides vowed to intensify collaboration across trade, investment, official development assistance, human resources development and climate change response.

Minh asked the Japanese government to encourage firms to help their Vietnamese counterparts to join the global supply chain, increase investment in hi-tech agriculture and support industry, allow the import of Vietnamese longan, and assist Việt Nam in environmental issues and climate change response.

Host and guest promised to partner in receiving workers and trainees and removing unhealthy labour and student brokerage firms.

The host said the Vietnamese Government has approved Japan’s request to open a consular office in the central city of Đà Nẵng. He also proposed the Japanese government simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens.

The two sides agreed to continue working together at regional and global forums and discuss the promotion of global economic linkages, including the early implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

They exchanged ideas on regional and global issues of shared concern. As for the East Sea issue, they agreed on the importance of ensuring peace, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, complying with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On the occasion, they attended a ceremony to exchange diplomatic notes on water drainage and wastewater treatment projects in Hạ Long City signed by Finance Minister Đinh Tiến Dũng and Toshimitsu, and on dioxin and environment analysis equipment worth US$2.7 million as non-refundable aid signed between Deputy Defence Minister Nguyễn Chí Vịnh and Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Umeda Kunio. — VNS