Prime Minister meets Emperor Naruhito, top Japanese legislators

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan 50th Year Commemorative Summit.

Pham expressed thanks to the Japanese Emperor and Empress and the Imperial House of Japan for their support for the friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan.

Over the last 50 years, the relations between Viet Nam and Japan have been strengthened in a comprehensive manner with deeper political trust and more practical and effective cooperation, noted Pham.

He called on the Japanese Emperor and Empress to continue support for the advancement of the Japan-ASEAN and Japan-Viet Nam relations  for the development of each side and for peace and prosperity in the region.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress expressed their delight to welcome the Vietnamese leader to visit Japan on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties.

They said that they are grateful for the respectful and warm welcome given to the Japanese Crown Prince and Crown Princess during their official visit to Viet Nam last September.

The historical connections and exchanges, and similarities in cultural elements lay important fondations for Viet Nam and Japan to further boost their comprehensive strategic partnership more intensively across all sectors in the time ahead, they emphasized.

They expressed their belief that more cultural and people-to-people exchange activities will be held, contributing to increasing mutual understandings between their peoples.

The same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had separate meetings with President of the House of Councillors of Japan Otsuji Hidehisa and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nukaga Fukushiro.

In his meeting with the President of the House of Councillors, the Vietnamese leader suggested the Japanese House of Councillors further uphold the role of the two legislatures in fostering the development of bilateral relations.

He called on the House off Councillors to support and assist Viet Nam in carrying out three strategic breakthroughs, industrialization and modernisation.

Pham underlined the need to promote exchanges between friendship parliamentarians' groups of the two countries, young lawmakers, as well as create favorable conditions for over 520,000 Vietnamese living in Japan, including tax exemption for Vietnamese workers.

Otsuji, for his part, pledged to step up Viet Nam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership in all fields, pledging to push forward cooperation and exchanges between the two legislative bodies in the coming time.

In his conversation with Speaker Nukaga, the guest sought the House of Representatives' support for fostering connectivity between the two economies and cooperation in digital transformation, green transition, climate change response, natural resource conservation and national defense-security.

The Prime Minister recommended that the Speaker accelerate the effective implementation of the new-generation ODA program with high incentives, simple and flexible procedures for Viet Nam's large-scale strategic infrastructure projects, green transition and digital transformation.

In reply, Nukaga wished for closer cooperation between the two legislatures in the coming time and voiced his support for simplifying procedures, moving toward visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens entering Japan.

Later the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage left Tokyo, wrapping up their tour to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio./.