(VOVworld) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh is attending the 21st International Conference of The Future of Asia that opened Thursday in Tokyo. The conference entitled 'Asia Beyond 2015: The Quest for Lasting Peace and Prosperity' will last until Friday. In his speech, Ninh hailed the event as a prestigious forum for regional countries to share experiences, discuss development policies, and boost cooperation for an Asia of peace and prosperity. He highlighted major trends that are influencing Asia’s development, as well as the important role of the ASEAN Community in the development of the region and the world.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh speaks at the conference

With regard to Japan, Ninh hailed Japan as an economic power with a very important role in Asia-Pacific region development. He said Japan has been a leading partner of the ASEAN community that has made tremendous contributions to the establishment of the community. Ninh added that Vietnam welcomed Japan’s efforts to tighten cooperation with Southeast Asian countries through cooperative mechanisms including ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN+3, Mekong-Japan, and the East Asian Summit. He said this will contribute to build trust, expand comprehensive development cooperation, and well-handle with traditional and non-traditional security challenges facing the region and the world at large. He expressed his belief that ASEAN-Japan ties will continue to grow for both sides’ benefits, and for peace, stability, and prosperous development in Asia.