THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Government News
Vietnamese PM arrives in Tokyo for ASEAN-Japan commemorative summit
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on December 15 to attend a commemorative summit marking the 50th anniversary of the friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) arrive at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, December 15, 2023 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The Vietnamese Government leader was welcomed by Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Komura Masahiro and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, among others.
The visit is made at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
He is scheduled to attend the summit of the Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) chaired by Japanese PM Kishida Fumio and have bilateral meetings with leaders of some countries and international organizations on the occasion.
Pham will have talks and meetings with Japanese high-ranking leaders, visit some Japanese localities and work with leaders of Japanese economic groups. He will also attend a Viet Nam-Japan labor cooperation promotion event.
The working trip to Japan takes place in a special context after Viet Nam and Japan upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the Japan visit in November 2023 by President Vo Van Thuong, and after ASEAN and Japan officially established the comprehensive strategic partnership at the 26th ASEAN - Japan Summit in Indonesia in September 2023.
Highlights of ASEAN-Japan relations over 50 years
The relationship between ASEAN and Japan has grown comprehensively and deeply across all fields, from politics, security, economy and investment to culture, society, and development cooperation.
Japan has shown strong efforts in building a "heart to heart" and trustful relationship with ASEAN member countries, and committed to being their equal partner in order to build peace and prosperity in the region.
The ASEAN-Japan strategic partnership is one of the most meaningful and comprehensive between ASEAN and its partners, spanning across fields for peace, prosperity, quality of life, and heart-to-heart connection.
In the field of economy, after 2000, ASEAN and Japan have signed bilateral economic and investment partnership agreements as well as the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP).
In recent years, Japan’s annual investment in ASEAN member countries has reached about JPY 2.8 trillion (US$19.71 billion). About 15,000 Japanese business facilities have operated in ASEAN countries.
Japan is the fourth largest trade partner and the second biggest investor of ASEAN, with two-way trade revenue rising 11.6 percent in 2022./.