Abe Shinzo - the Prime Minister who loves Vietnam from the bottom of his heart.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo passed away after being shot this afternoon in Nara Prefecture while campaigning for the Upper House election. This news has shocked the world. The Japanese people are stunned. For Vietnam, however, the loss of a close friend, a respected world leader who had contributed to the unprecedentedly positive development of Vietnam-Japan relations and to Vietnam's development, is no longer considered a great loss.

Abe Shinzo - a name of great prestige.

Shinzo Abe, 67 years old, was born in Tokyo. His maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, was also a Prime Minister of Japan and was instrumental in reforming the Japan-U.S. security treaty. His father previously held several important positions, including Secretary-General of the LDP and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thus, Shinzo Abe's family is a family with a long line of politicians.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at the welcoming ceremony for the General Secretary's visit to Japan in September 2015.

Shinzo Abe graduated from Keisei University and spent time studying in the United States. He also served as a secretary to his father when he was Japan's Foreign Minister.

He displayed political acumen from an early age, holding important positions within the LDP party from a young age, such as Director of the Youth Bureau, Chairman of the Social Security Association, and Chief Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minister Koizumi's administration.

He had also visited North Korea and witnessed the talks between Prime Minister Koizumi and Leader Kim Il-sung. Therefore, he later played a key role in resolving the issue of the Japanese hostages abducted by North Korea.

By inheriting the mindset of the Koizumi administration, Abe became Japan's youngest post-war Prime Minister in 2006 when he first ran for Prime Minister.

During his time in office, he contributed to the establishment of the Education Reform Law, the People's Election Law, and the development of procedures for constitutional reform.

During the period from 2012 to 2020, as Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe prioritized focusing on restoring the Japanese economy to reduce inflation, implementing Abenomics with its three pillars: promoting growth through increased private investment, transparency, and sustainable monetary and fiscal policies.

In the field of diplomacy, he has always been proactive and actively promoted exchanges. He has visited 176 countries and territories, successfully organizing the G7 Summit in Japan in 2016 and the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019. Later, Shinzo Abe himself persuaded President Obama to visit Hiroshima and the memorial to the victims of the atomic bomb. He himself was the first sitting Prime Minister of Japan to visit Pearl Harbor and pay respects to the martyrs who died in that battle. This opened up a more open mindset in understanding the past.

In the field of economic diplomacy, Shinzo Abe left a strong personal mark by promoting the participation of 11 countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, despite the US withdrawal.

He was also an active advocate for reforming the Japanese Constitution to better suit the new circumstances, including allowing the Japanese military to participate overseas. This commitment has been continued by subsequent Prime Ministers.

He was also the Prime Minister who won six consecutive elections in both houses of parliament, considered the strongest administration during the years 2017-2019.

The wife of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo (center) wore a Vietnamese ao dai while attending the Vietnam Festival in Japan.

The Prime Minister loves Vietnam from the bottom of his heart.

It can be said that in the period from 2015 to the present, Vietnam-Japan relations are in an unprecedentedly good phase, developing in all aspects with tangible results. This is thanks to the joint efforts of the people and generations of leaders of both countries, especially Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has a special affection for Vietnam. Therefore, he is ready to receive Vietnamese leaders and people in Vietnam under any circumstances possible. Beyond the highest diplomatic protocol reserved for high-ranking leaders, Mr. Abe may also be willing to meet with lower-level leaders to discuss cooperation options that are most beneficial to both sides.

In September 2015, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to Japan. During this visit, a welcoming ceremony with the highest protocol was held at the Japanese Prime Minister's Office. In his meeting with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Japanese Prime Minister Abe said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong – the highest leader of Vietnam and a close friend – to Japan. I highly value our relationship with Vietnam. I chose Vietnam as the first country to visit after my re-election as Prime Minister. I am pleased to see that Vietnam-Japan relations are developing in diverse areas, in the spirit of a Strategic Partnership.”

Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong exchanged views and shared deep concerns about the continuous actions that are altering the status quo and causing tension in the South China Sea, such as land reclamation and the construction of large-scale bases. They also agreed to a joint statement outlining future cooperation through the implementation of specific projects, demonstrating the deepening and expanding cooperative relationship between the two countries.

In international forums and conferences, regardless of the location, Prime Minister Abe always met with Vietnamese leaders whenever possible. Prime Minister Abe's invitation to Vietnam to participate in the G7 Expanded Summit held in Japan in May 2016, and the G20 Summit held in Osaka at the end of June 2019, affirms the Prime Minister's commitment to strengthening cooperative relations with Vietnam. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended both of these major conferences.

During the talks between the two sides on these two major events, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo affirmed that Japan considers Vietnam an important partner and highly appreciates the significance of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's working visit to Japan and participation in the Summit. Prime Minister Abe highly valued Vietnam's position, role, and diplomatic achievements, and also highly appreciated the Vietnamese community in Japan, considering them a "valuable shared asset" for the bilateral relationship.

Not only do Vietnamese leaders frequently visit Japan and hold talks with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, but during his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr. Abe made four visits to Vietnam: in November 2006 to attend the APEC Summit; an official visit to Vietnam in January 2013, shortly after assuming his second term as Prime Minister – his first overseas visit after taking office; and two more visits in January 2017 and November 2017. All these visits left a special mark on the Vietnamese people, demonstrating the substantial nature of the deep and comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, in which Prime Minister Abe's role was particularly prominent.

Making history for Vietnam-Japan relations.

As Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister to date, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has taken concrete actions, not only promoting ODA (Official Development Assistance) to Vietnam and strengthening investment cooperation between the two countries, but also focusing on enhancing cultural exchanges and educational cooperation. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo actively increased ODA (Official Development Assistance, concessional loans, etc.) to Vietnam. Between 2010 and 2020, Japanese funding reached up to US$7 billion per year for Vietnam. This capital has made a significant contribution to Vietnam's development.

In 2019, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan, Shinzo Abe skillfully arranged a brief meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and US President Donald Trump. That meeting partially resolved the allegations of trade fraud against Vietnam.

In the field of trade, Japan has consistently been one of Vietnam's most important trading partners for many years. In 2019, Japan was Vietnam's fourth largest trading partner (after China, the United States, and South Korea), its third largest export partner (after the United States and China), and its third largest import partner (after China and South Korea).

Bilateral trade volume has shown fairly stable growth over the past 10 years. Overall, the Vietnam-Japan trade balance has been relatively balanced, with the difference between exports and imports each year remaining relatively small. Regarding investment, in 2019 Japan ranked fourth among countries and territories with investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of US$4.14 billion.

In the fields of culture and education, cooperation has seen remarkable development, with the number of Vietnamese students and trainees increasing many times over in recent years. Furthermore, amidst the widespread Covid-19 pandemic in many countries, including Vietnam and Japan, Japan has maintained supportive policies for Vietnamese students and trainees, such as visa extensions, living expenses assistance, and medical care support during the pandemic, creating favorable conditions for all Vietnamese people living abroad.

Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has passed away, but his affection for Vietnam, his contributions to Vietnam, and his efforts in fostering Vietnam-Japan relations will forever remain historical legacies, a testament to a man's dedication to a nation.