Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc held a phone call with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — The Japanese Government is willing to provide Việt Nam with necessary financial support to help the country overcome economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. 

The statement was made during a phone call held between Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his Japanese counterpart on Tuesday. 

This is the second phone call held between the two countries’ leaders in just three months to discuss enhancing bilateral ties. 

During the talks, PM Phúc and Abe shared experience and lessons in containing the COVID-19 pandemic in each country. 

The Vietnamese Government leader said Việt Nam is carrying out robust and determined measures to bring its new outbreak in the central region under control. 

PM Phúc thanked Abe and the Japanese Government for having provided much-needed assistance for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese living and working in Japan who are affected by the pandemic, as well as giving Việt Nam medical supplies and equipment to help the country’s efforts in preventing and controlling the disease. 

Praising Việt Nam’s impressive response to the pandemic, the Japanese leader thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for the donations of Vietnamese-made face masks and medical supplies in a show of solidarity. 

He said that the items are showing usefulness in places that needed them most. 

PM Phúc expressed appreciation towards Japan’s selection of Việt Nam as one of the countries with which it will relax travel restrictions, permitting flights to resume two weeks ago. 

The two sides will continue to discuss the reopening of commercial flights in the future. 

Abe thanked the Vietnamese Government for having allowed and facilitated the entries of Japanese diplomats, managers, investors, highly skilled workers and experts into Việt Nam for work. 

The Japanese leader agreed that it’s necessary to discuss gradual resumption of people exchange between the two countries, especially for the human resources that hold a critical role in bilateral trade. 

However, he said COVID-19 prevention and control measures must still be in place to avoid virus infections. 

Japanese PM Abe said that just over half of Japanese businesses receiving support from the Japanese Government to strengthen and expand the supply chain have chosen Việt Nam as a destination. 

The Japanese government will continue to support Japanese businesses to diversify their supply chains. Japan is also ready to assist Việt Nam in preventing drought and saline intrusion. 

PM Phúc reaffirmed with Abe the commitment to create favourable conditions for Japanese enterprises to invest and do business in the country, and asked his Japanese counterpart to continue encouraging Japanese enterprises to increase investment in Việt Nam.  

It was said the Vietnamese Government leader is expected to have a meeting with Japanese investors soon. 

The two leaders also agreed to continue to closely cooperate in the implementation of the Việt Nam-Japan University project, promotion of trade and investment in the region, including the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

PM Phúc and Abe agreed to continue working closely to promote cooperation within the Mekong-Japan framework. 

The two have also reaffirmed their stance on upholding security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (known as East Sea in Việt Nam), and the view that all parties must comply with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.  

PM Phúc said Việt Nam would closely coordinate the implementation of Japan's initiative on establishing the ASEAN Centre for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies. 

Abe said he highly appreciated Việt Nam’s efforts as ASEAN Chair in 2020, adding that he would cooperate closely with Việt Nam to help bring about successful organisation of ASEAN meetings and summits. 

He said he expected to visit Việt Nam to attend the ASEAN Summit and have talks with the Vietnamese Government leader. — VNS