(VOVworld) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated Vietnam’s importance in Japan’s external policies. At a meeting with visiting Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Friday, the Japanese Prime Minister pledged more efforts to boost bilteral cooperative programs, including those on judicial reform, trade, agriculture, and support industry. Abe expressed his hope to further strengthen people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam through simplifying visa procedures, and sending Vietnamese nurses and apprentices to Japan. PM Abe also noted that Japan is working with concern countries in order to early realise the aerospace cooperation plan with Vietnam.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R). Photo: Huu Thang/Vietnam+
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Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his wish that Japan would continue to provide ODA for Vietnam in the 2014 fiscal year, foster bilateral cooperation in agriculture, especially offshore tuna fishing, and help Vietnam improve agricultural value chain and build a quality standard system for farm produce.
Deputy PM Phuc also called for stronger bilateral judicial cooperation, suggesting that Japan support Vietnam in training lawyers. At the same time, Phuc asked PM Abe to pay attention to the project to build an aerospace centre and launch an earth observation satellite in Vietnam so that the project is carried out on schedule as agreed between the two governments.
At a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida the same day, Deputy PM Phuc urged the two countries to increase high-level visits and meetings and effectively implement dialogue mechanisms. He lauded the Japanese government’s decision to simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens, suggesting the exemption of short-term visa for Vietnamese citizens. He also called for closer bilateral cooperation at regional and international forums as well as in Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Kishida said Japan is keen to beef up the strategic partnership with Vietnam in all fields, saying that ODA cooperation plays an important role in bilateral partnership. Japan hopes to work with Vietnam for the successful negotiations of TPP and RCEP. Kishida also affirmed that peace and stability in the East Sea is a matter of common concern for the international community.
Also on Friday, Deputy PM Phuc had a working session with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the Justice Ministry and JICA on technical support for Vietnam’s legal and judicial reforms during the 2015-2020 period. Deputy PM Phuc toured the Tsukuba Space Centre in Ibaraki prefecture the same day.