HÀ NỘI — President Trần Đại Quang highlighted the huge potential for Việt Nam-Japan cooperation across all fields, noting that the extensive strategic partnership between the two nations is flourishing.

In a recent interview granted to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, the Vietnamese President affirmed Việt Nam and Japan have become important partners across many fields.

Since the two nations upgraded their ties to the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in 2014, bilateral relations have witnessed strong and comprehensive development, according to the President.

Regarding political ties, the two sides have maintained high-level meetings, with the highlights being visits to Việt Nam in 2017 by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The year also marked a new step in the development of relations as the two countries issued a joint statement on deepening the extensive strategic relationship during the official visit to Japan by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

Việt Nam and Japan have closely and effectively coordinated in multilateral forums such the UN, ASEAN, APEC and ASEM. In particular, Japan’s active involvement contributed to Việt Nam’s successful hosting of the 25th APEC Summit during the year.

In the field of economics, Japan is the largest source of ODA for Việt Nam, and the fourth biggest trade partner of the country. In 2017, Japan became the leading foreign investor in Việt Nam, with over 2,500 Japanese companies operating in the Southeast Asian country. The two countries are working together on many large-scale infrastructure and energy projects in Việt Nam.

Japan’s ODA provision has significantly contributed to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development.

Collaboration in terms of security-defence, agriculture, education-training and labour have also recorded practical results.

Cooperative links between localities of the two countries have been fostered with 37 pairs of localities setting up twinning relations. People-to-people exchange activities and cultural and tourism cooperation have been expanded, with 230,000 Vietnamese now living and working in Japan and 16,000 Japanese in Việt Nam. Japan is the third largest source of tourists to Việt Nam.

President Quang said he discussed with PM Shinzo Abe major orientations and specific measures to further bolster bilateral ties on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Đà Nẵng last November.

He noted that the two sides agreed to enhance political trust via maintaining visits and meetings at all levels, and dialogue mechanisms among their ministries, sectors and localities.

They will take advantage of their respective strengths to promote win-win cooperation and economic links. Việt Nam will closely cooperate with Japan for the more effective use of ODA capital, while continuing to improve its investment environment to facilitate Japanese firms’ operation in the country.

The two sides would also forge links in the fields of good cooperative potential such as labour, clean agriculture and hi-technology, he added.

The President stressed that with its policy on proactive international integration, Việt Nam has been and will be a sincere friend, reliable partner and responsible member of the international community. In that spirit, the country will maintain its close and effective collaboration with Japan at international and regional forums in issues of common concern for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole.

He expressed his belief that the Việt Nam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership will continue developing for the sake of the two people.

President Quang said in the future, Việt Nam hopes for Japanese investment and technology transfer in six priority sectors in Việt Nam’s industrialisation strategy, including electronics, agricultural machinery, farm and aquatic product processing, shipbuilding, environmental protection and energy saving, and the automobile industry.

Việt Nam also wants to benefit from Japan’s investment and technology in fields of its strengths such as support industry, manufacturing, infrastructure development, energy, clean agriculture, waste and waste water treatment.

The President also reaffirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policy to create favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from Japan to operate business and production activities in Việt Nam.

Japanese direct investment in Việt Nam totaled almost US$9 billion during January-November, 2017, a four-fold increase from the figure of the entire 2016. — VNA/VNS