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Viet Nam, Japan step up efforts to materialize comprehensive strategic partnership
VGP - Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu and Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro held talks in Ha Noi on August 21.
Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (R) and Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro holds talks at the Government Guest House in Ha Noi, August 21, 2024 - Photo: vietnamplus.vn
At the talks, Nguyen affirmed that Viet Nam considers Japan as a leading and long-term strategic partner, expecting to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership with Japan.
The Vietnamese Government places great importance on and is striving to effectively carry out high-level agreements with Japan, he emphasized.
He suggested the Northeast Asian country provide new-generation official development assistance (ODA) with preferential terms and more flexible, streamlined procedures for Viet Nam, especially for key infrastructure projects.
He urged Japan to soon determine loan commitments for the projects on infrastructure development, climate change response, and livelihood support for ethnic minorities in 11 northern mountainous and midland provinces of Viet Nam.
Nguyen recommended the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs join hands with other Vietnamese ministries and agencies to simplify procedures and gradually work towards visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens.
He took the occasion to convey invitations to Japanese leaders to attend the fourth Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit and the ASEAN Future Forum, scheduled to be held in Viet Nam in 2025.
Funakoshi, for his part, reiterated that the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes to strengthen coordination with the Vietnamese side in implementing high-level agreements substantively and effectively to advance the bilateral ties on par with the new framework.
Japanese investors regard Viet Nam a priority destination, he noted, expressing his hope for coordination to stimulate ODA and investment ties between the two countries, and promote bilateral cooperation within Japan's Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative.
Both diplomats hailed the practical outcomes in bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, labor, education, and agriculture, saying the two countries are expanding collaboration to new areas like digital transformation and green transition.
The two officials pledged to increase all-level exchanges and meetings and improve the efficiency of bilateral dialogue mechanisms.
The two sides vowed to boost cooperation effectiveness in national defense, security, economy, ODA, investment, climate change response, green transition, and digital transformation.
They emphasized the need to intensify coordination and enhance mutual support at international and regional forums like ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)./.