Top Vietnamese leader concludes official visit to Japan

They were seen off at Haneda International Airport by officials of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan.

During the visit, General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako and attended a banquet hosted by the Imperial Couple at the Imperial Palace.

The Vietnamese leader also attended the official welcome ceremony, held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, addressed the press and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries. He delivered an address to Japan's National Diet, visited Kanagawa prefecture and engaged in several other high-level activities.

At their talks, General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Takaichi reaffirmed that Viet Nam and Japan are leading and long-term important partners of each other, sharing numerous common interests. Takaichi affirmed that Viet Nam remains a priority partner in Japan's foreign policy and its New Growth Strategy.

Amidst an increasingly complex international environment and on the basis of a new strategic vision for bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to adopt a Viet Nam-Japan Joint Vision Statement, elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World to a new height.

The partnership will be advanced in the spirit of "Partners Advancing Together and Co-creating for Mutual Benefit, High-quality Growth, Strategic Autonomy and Resilience".

Both sides highly valued the strong, comprehensive and substantive development of bilateral relations in recent years, particularly since the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023.

Political trust has been increasingly consolidated through regular high-level exchanges and contacts across Party, Government and parliamentary channels. Dialogue mechanisms between ministries, agencies and localities of the two countries have also been operating effectively.

The two sides agreed to step up high-level diplomacy and maintain regular exchanges and contacts to further strengthen mutual trust and understanding. They also underscored the importance of expanding exchanges across all channels, including the Party, Government and National Assembly, as well as people-to-people exchanges and local-level cooperation, thereby deepening friendship between the two countries.

The two leaders consented to continue working closely together to effectively implement Phase 3 (2025-2030) of the "Medium- and Long-Term Vision for Viet Nam-Japan Agricultural Cooperation".

The two leaders recognized the important role of the content industry - including electronic games, anime, manga, music, and films - in promoting economic growth and deepening people-to-people exchanges, particularly among young people.

The two leaders concurred to look into the possibility of identifying and materializing cooperation projects in critical minerals, including through collaboration with MDBs, with a view to strengthening the supply chains of both countries according to the conditions and needs of each side.

The two leaders further consented to cooperate on the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space, including through cooperation in launching and operating Earth-observation satellites, sharing satellite data and strengthening human resource development.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN solidarity and centrality and consented to work closely together and make positive contributions to strengthening the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a substantive, effective, and mutually beneficial manner.

Following the summit meeting, the two leaders adopted the Viet Nam-Japan Joint Vision Statement to elevate the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” to new heights./.