Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe signed the Vietnam-Japan joint statement in Tokyo on October 19, affirming their determination to further expand bilateral strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.
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Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe signed the Vietnam-Japan joint statement in Tokyo on October 19, affirming their determination to further expand bilateral strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.
The two sides highly valued the friendship which has developed between the two countries in the spirit of long-term stability and mutual trust on the basis of "Japan-Vietnams Foreign Ministers Joint Statement Towards a Higher Sphere of Enduring Partnership" in 2004.
They confirmed their willingness to carry out high-ranking visits and exchanges of views more frequently.
PM Dung expressed his gratitude to Japan - the largest donor country of official development assistance (ODA) – for its contributions to Vietnams socio-economic modernisation. He pointed out that Japans ODA to Vietnam had surpassed 100 billion yen in the Japanese fiscal year 2005, and hoped that cooperation between Japan and Vietnam will further develop in the coming years.
PM Abe reaffirmed Japans firm support for Vietnams socio-economic development by providing assistance in priority areas such as promotion of growth, improvement in living standards, social issues, and institutional building while utilising advanced Japanese technology and expertise.
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of the continued implementation of Vietnams Doi Moi (renewal) policy and its integration into the world economy.
PM Abe expressed strong support for Vietnam’s early accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and hoped that it will accelerate Vietnams economic development.
The Japanese government leader also reiterated Japans continued support and assistance to Vietnam in its international economic integration, particularly in the post-WTO accession period.
The two sides also reaffirmed their commitments to the promotion and early conclusion of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement negotiations, which should include provisions on cooperation.
They decided to jointly create favourable conditions for the business circles of the two countries in order to increase two-way trade to US$15 billion in 2010 from US$8.5 billion in 2005.
The two PMs agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in science and technology, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), based on the Vietnam-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology signed last August. In particular, with respect to ICT, the two sides noted the importance of Japans ODA cooperation project in higher education which started this year.
Being aware of the importance of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the two PMs decided to promote cooperation in this area, including efforts to facilitate legal, administrative and other necessary activities.
The two sides expressed their determination to further promote mutual understanding through exchanges in the fields of culture, education, tourism and sports. They also shared the view on the importance of youth exchanges, and appreciated the educational value of student filmmaking activities now underway in Vietnam.
PM Abe welcomed the encouraging achievements obtained in the teaching of Japanese in Vietnam and reaffirmed Japan’s support for this programme.
PM Dung appreciated Japan’s programme to recruit Vietnamese trainees and underscored the importance of continuing this programme.
Mr Abe shared Mr Dung’s view and said that these programmes should be practically developed.
The two PMs agreed to increase visit exchanges between the two countries’ business circles to boost bilateral economic relations and to grant short-term visas to businesses in many times.
The two sides welcomed the success of the ASEAN-Japan workshop and conference on flower tourism during the Flower Festival in Da Lat in December 2005, as well as the Japanese Festival in Vietnam in August 2006, which they said helped promote mutual understanding. They also stressed the need to promote exchanges between the two countries’ private sectors, including similar festivals in the future.
The two sides recognised that cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges is important. They reaffirmed their determination to boost cooperation and economic integration in specific priority areas towards the establishment of the East Asia Community through the East Asia Summit (EAS) and other forums. They also agreed to cooperate closely in developing projects in the Mekong River basin.
The two PMs stressed the need to boost reform of the United Nations, including the UN Security Council, to promote efficiency and democracy in its operations.
Mr Dung reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, while Mr Abe voiced Japan’s support for Vietnam’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 tenure.
Acknowledging Vietnam’s ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the two sides said that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), international terrorism, drug and human trafficking are posing serious threats to security and stability in the region and the world. They agreed to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation to deal with these challenges.
The two PMs deemed the close combination between economic growth and environmental protection for Vietnam’s sustainable development as a necessary move towards environmental improvement in Asia and the world. They agreed that the two Government will cooperate closely to realise the 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) initiative and properly treat waste in Vietnam.
The two sides expressed deep concern over recent developments on the Korean peninsular. They protested against the nuclear tests and asked the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea not to complicate the situation, early return to the six-party talks and strictly abide by the joint statement, and resolutions 1695 and 1718 of the UN Security Council regarding the issue.
The two sides expressed their satisfaction at the results of the first official visit to Japan by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and hoped that the visit will open a new chapter in the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
(Source: VOV)
