Japanese Prime Minister visits Vietnam: Fostering 'affectionate, sincere, trustworthy' relationship
This visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio aims to deepen the Vietnam-Japan relationship, strengthen political trust and good relations between the two countries' senior leaders on the basis of "affection, sincerity and trust".
Today, May 1, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will host a welcoming ceremony for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Hanoi. This is Mr. Kishida Fumio's first visit to Vietnam as Japanese Prime Minister since taking office (October 2021), and at the same time to reciprocate Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan (November 2021).
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| Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (November 2021). Photo: Vu Khuyen/VOV |
The Japanese Prime Minister's visit takes place in the context of the Vietnam - Japan extensive strategic partnership.Japanis continuing to develop well and effectively in many fields; the two sides are actively preparing activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. Senior leaders of the two countries maintain regular visits and contacts at international and regional forums.
In October 2021, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio became the 100th Prime Minister of Japan, continuing to implement the foreign policy of his predecessors Abe Shinzo and Suga Yoshihide. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is sympathetic and has good relations with many high-ranking leaders of Vietnam, and has served for many years as Secretary General of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance. He has visited Vietnam three times in his positions as Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Policy Research Council; actively contributing to upgrading relations to the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership in 2014.
This visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio aims to deepen the Vietnam-Japan relationship, implement the results of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan at the end of 2021; strengthen Vietnam-Japan political trust and good relations between the two countries' senior leaders on the basis of "affection, sincerity, and trust"; strengthen substantive cooperation in all fields, meeting the interests and aspirations of the two peoples.
The relationship between the two countries is at its best in history since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, with high trust. Senior leaders of the two countries maintain regular visits and contacts at international and regional forums. The Japanese Prime Minister alone has visited Vietnam a total of 11 times. The General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited Japan 4 times; the President visited Japan 3 times, the Prime Minister visited Japan 20 times, the Vietnam - Japan Cooperation Committee co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers (since 2007) has met 11 times...
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with former Japanese leaders such as former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo (both are former Secretary Generals of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan) during his visit to Japan in November 2021. |
Vietnam always considers Japan one of its top important partners, with a high priority position in its foreign policy, and is ready to join Japan in contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
The Joint Statement “Towards opening a new phase of the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia” adopted by the two countries during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan (November 22-25, 2021) has created momentum to promote the bilateral relationship to a new height. Cooperation in various fields, especially defense, security, investment, trade, ODA, health, agriculture, science and technology, digital transformation, education and training, climate change response, etc., has been actively implemented. Japan continues to be Vietnam's leading economic partner and the largest ODA donor, the third largest tourism partner, and the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam. The two sides actively coordinate to remove obstacles in many important cooperation projects.
Welcoming the Japanese Prime Minister to visit Vietnam is a step to synchronously implement the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, which was affirmed at the 13th National Party Congress of Vietnam./.