(VOVworld) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Wednesday hosted a welcoming ceremony for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is on a two-day official visit to Vietnam. During the talks held after the ceremony, the two Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen the strategic partnership comprehensively and announced the opening of the Vietnam Japan Friendship Year 2013. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said: “We agreed to maintain and increase visits and exchanges between leaders of the two countries as well as dialogues at all levels to further strengthen the bilateral ties. We agreed to work closer to effectively implement bilateral agreements on economic cooperation, especially projects on infrastructure development including the trans-national expressway, Lach Huyen seaport, Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant, as well as the project on rare earth development and nurse exports to Japan. Vietnam highly appreciates Japan’s ODA assistance in the past 20 years and the Japanese Prime Minister’s promise to continue granting ODA to Vietnam, especially the ODA package worth 500 million USD for three projects on infrastructure development. So far, Japan has committed to grant Vietnam 1.7 billion USD worth of ODA”.

Both PMs agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in issues of mutual concerns. Vietnam and Japan will work more closely in organizing activities to mark the 40^th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relationship. They said countries need to cooperate with each other and make active and constructive contributions to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region, settling disputes through peaceful negotiations based on international law.

This is Shinzo Abe’s first trip abroad since he was elected PM in late December and his second Vietnam visit as PM.

On the same day, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang met with the visiting  Japanese PM at separate receptions. In his reception, Party leader Trong reiterated Vietnam’s unswerving policy of constantly developing the friendship and strategic partnership with Japan for the benefits of the two peoples, peace, stability and prosperity in the region.  He urged for Japan’s continued cooperation in economic restructuring and shifting of growth model in Vietnam.

PM Shinzo Abe pledged to continue working with Vietnam to implement effectively agreements and projects agreed by the two governments, promoting Japan-Vietnam strategic partnership.