VGP – Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung on December 15 (local time) held talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and discussed directions and a number of specific measures to further cement and deepen the Viet Nam-Japan strategic partnership.
The two leaders were pleasant to witness the new progress in bilateral cooperation in all fields.
Practical activities in celebrating the Viet Nam-Japan Friendship Year and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties have made significant contributions to the consolidation of friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.
PM Dung said Viet Nam always treasures cooperation with Japan and wishes to boost the strategic partnership with the country in a more comprehensive manner.
The two leaders agreed on the significance of the maintenance of high-level meetings and the effective implementation of cooperation mechanisms, while lauding the setting up of the security dialogue mechanism.
The two sides pledged to continue their close coordination in the implementation of important economic cooperation projects such as the North-South Highway, the construction of the Ninh Thuan No. 2 nuclear power plant and the Vietnam Space Centre.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced an official development assistance package valued at around US$ 1 billion for Viet Nam to five projects in the second half of the 2013 fiscal year.
The projects include two sections of the North-South Highway, two infrastructure development projects at Lach Huyen Port in Hai Phong city, and a program to support Viet Nam in responding to climate change and enhance its competitiveness.
The Japanese side also promised to consider Viet Nam’s proposal to build a Viet Nam-Japan friendship hospital and expand the program training Vietnamese nurses in Japan.
The two leaders also committed to considering the possibility of signing a plan of action to realize agricultural cooperation between the two countries, including the establishment of a joint working group in the field.
The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Viet Nam will create all possible conditions for Japanese firms to invest in Viet Nam by effectively conducting the Viet Nam-Japan Joint Initiative in improving investment environment in Viet Nam.
The Japanese Government chief promised to support Viet Nam in carrying out of action plans in six prioritized sectors included in the Viet Nam’s industrialization strategy and the Viet Nam-Japan cooperation framework by 2020 with a view to 2030.
Japan will also consider Viet Nam’s suggestion to create favorable condition for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the Japanese market.
Both host and guest agreed that cooperation in human resources development is among key issues of the bilateral relationship, welcomed the initiative to establish the Viet Nam-Japan University in Ha Noi and consented to jointly facilitate the project’s early implementation.
The two leaders also talked international and regional issues of common concern. They agreed on the importance of ensuring peace, stability and development in the region, including peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation based on international law.
They affirmed to continue closely working at international forums, organizations, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region.
After the talks, PMs Dung and Abe witnessed the signing of a diplomatic note of exchange for three projects in the 2013 fiscal year worth 54 billion JPY, namely the international terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport, the Da Nhim hydro-power plant and Hanoi’s belt road 3’s Mai Dich-Nam Thang Long section flyover./.