(VOV) -Vietnam always regards Japan as one of its strategic partners of first magnitude while Japan wants to develop a substantial and extensive partnership with Vietnam. Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida echoed this view when co-hosting the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee in Hanoi on Friday.
At the meeting, the two sides discussed a score of measures to develop bilateral relations in a comprehensive, effective and sustainable manner in the future by maintaining regular exchange visits and meetings between senior leaders and enhancing cooperation and dialogues between ministries, sectors and localities.
Minister Fumio Kishida affirmed his nation’s recognition of Vietnam as a leading partner in ODA, noting that the Japanese Government will continue maintaining a high level of ODA provision for Vietnam, focusing on supporting growth, improving competitiveness, fine-tuning market economy mechanism, training human resources and preventing natural disasters.
Deputy PM Binh Minh greatly valued the Japanese Government for its commitment to maintaining its large ODA provision for Vietnam including the signing of an exchange diplomatic note offering JPY 500 million in non-refundable aid for Vietnam’s maritime safety and JPY353 million for a human resource development scholarship program for Vietnam in 2014.
Minh reiterated the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to effective use of Japanese ODA to make practical contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.
The two FMs consented to improve the investment environment in Vietnam, promote Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model and step up bilateral cooperation in trade, personnel training, science-technology, climate change adaptation, judiciary and cross- cultural exchange. FM Minh hailed the Japanese Government for facilitating the grant of entry visa for Vietnamese citizens in recent years. Minister Fumio Kishida said his agency will continue working with Vietnam on the implementation of action plans in Vietnam’s industrialization strategy within the Vietnam – Japan cooperation framework, and helping Vietnam realize the Vietnam-Japan joint initiative to improve the investment environment in Vietnam. The two FMs concurred to further beef up cooperation in dealing with regional and international issues of common concern.
They called for dialogues and peaceful settlement of disputes between concerned parties in the East Sea on the basis of respect for international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards the formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) to ensure security, maritime safety, stability and peace in the region.