Vietnam has lost a very close and dear friend!

Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong said that former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo made important contributions to Vietnam - Japan relations.

Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong shared with the Government Electronic Newspaper when he heard the news of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's passing on the afternoon of July 8.

4 visits to Vietnam

Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong said that former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo made important contributions to Vietnam-Japan relations.

The first important contribution was that Mr. Abe Shinzo and the Vietnamese leaders determined the framework for a comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan during Mr. Abe Shinzo's tenure as Prime Minister.

The second contribution is that Mr. Abe Shinzo has played an important role in promoting high-level delegation exchanges between Vietnam and Japan. During Mr. Abe Shinzo's tenure as Prime Minister, the Japanese Emperor and Empress made their first historic visit to Vietnam in 2017.

Mr. Abe Shinzo himself visited Vietnam four times as Prime Minister. The President of the Japanese House of Councillors also visited Vietnam for the first time under Mr. Abe Shinzo and the Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives also returned to Vietnam for the first time in 15 years. Thus, all key Japanese politicians and leaders have visited Vietnam under Mr. Abe Shinzo's tenure.

On the Vietnamese side, Mr. Abe hosted and welcomed all Vietnamese leaders to visit Japan, including the visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in September 2015. The State visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to Japan in 2018. And the Prime Minister of Vietnam visits Japan almost every year; in addition, there are high-level delegations and the National Assembly of the two sides visiting each other.

"During the times I received high-ranking Vietnamese leaders visiting Japan, I felt Mr. Abe Shinzo's great affection for the people and country of Vietnam. Mr. Abe Shinzo always affirmed to the Vietnamese leaders his love for Vietnam and the Vietnamese people, who are loyal to their friends, consistent. Vietnamese people are hard-working and diligent. Mr. Abe Shinzo also admired the development steps of Vietnam. In particular, Mr. Abe Shinzo once said: Every time he visits Vietnam, it renews and develops further," Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong shared.

Regarding the proposals from Vietnam to strengthen the relationship between Vietnam and Japan, increase ODA, strengthen the connection between the two countries' economies, and support Vietnam in its industrialization and modernization policy, Mr. Abe Shinzo has supported and responded positively.

After the visits between the two countries' senior leaders, Mr. Abe Shinzo always gave instructions within the Japanese Government to implement the agreements and commitments between the two countries' leaders. It can be said that through the exchange of high-level delegations between the two countries, it has contributed to building a close, intimate, and highly trustworthy relationship between the two countries' leaders.

On the other hand, former Ambassador Nguyen Cuong said that Mr. Abe Shinzo encouraged and promoted localities and businesses in Japan to increase exchanges and cooperation with localities and businesses in Vietnam.

In particular, in the field of human resource development, Mr. Abe Shinzo has always strongly supported. That is shown through very specific numbers.

"When I went to Japan in 2015, there were about 50,000 Vietnamese people in Japan. By the end of 2018, the number had increased to about 300,000 people and is now about 400,000 people. I think that human resource development cooperation between the two countries is both a bright spot and one of the important pillars in the relationship between the two countries for many years to come," former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong cited.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong, former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo himself and Japanese leaders highly appreciated the contributions of Vietnamese students and interns to the socio-economic development of Japan in general and Japanese localities in particular.

Mr. Abe Shinzo always has preferential feelings for Vietnamese leaders.

Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong said that the most impressive thing for him was the very friendly exchange between the leaders of Vietnam and Japan. From former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, they all established a very close relationship with former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The Japanese side was very surprised when, right on the first visit, the two Prime Ministers had a friendly conversation like long-time friends.

"They also told me that there has never been a foreign politician that Mr. Abe Shinzo has had such special, close and intimate feelings towards," former Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong shared.

Former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong personally had many opportunities to meet former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, especially during visits and high-level delegation exchanges between the two countries. Former Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong's impression of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is his effective and specific working style.

Former Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong expressed his gratitude to Japanese ministries, branches, the Prime Minister's Office and especially former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo for their support in successfully completing his Ambassadorial duties.

Former Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong recalled that there were times when high-ranking Vietnamese leaders visited Japan, during the preparation process, Mr. Abe directly gave instructions and there were things that went beyond the normal framework of practice. For example, the reception of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam as a state guest of the Japanese Government was also a warm, respectful and special reception. In addition, the Vietnamese Prime Minister visited Japan many times, almost every year he also visited Japan, a very important partner of Vietnam, especially in the economic field. Mr. Abe Shinzo always had preferential feelings for the Vietnamese leaders.

In 2016, when I was the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Abe invited Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to attend the G7 Summit. Although he was very busy with the leaders of the G7 countries, Mr. Abe gave the Vietnamese Government delegation a special gesture by inviting the Vietnamese Prime Minister to Tokyo to hold a reception and talks, as if he were on an official visit with many important agreements.

Right after that year (in 2017), the Japanese Prime Minister also invited the Vietnamese Prime Minister to pay an official visit to Japan. Although Japanese agencies said it was unprecedented, Mr. Abe responded to Vietnam's request to join the Vietnamese Prime Minister in attending the largest and first-ever Business Forum with 1,600 participants, witnessed by the two Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Japan. Businesses of the two countries have made economic agreements and commitments worth more than 20 billion USD. That is a very special gesture towards Vietnam.

A small detail that also shows Mr. Abe's affection for Vietnam is the event of the murder of the child Nhat Linh in Japan. When meeting the former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong at a reception, Mr. Abe proactively came to meet and expressed the Japanese Government's sorrow and apologized to the Vietnamese people for letting such a regrettable incident happen.

Therefore, upon hearing the news of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's passing, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong expressed his sorrow for the great sentiments and contributions of Mr. Abe Shizo to the relationship between Vietnam and Japan over the past time and it was a great loss not only for Japan but also for Vietnam./.