Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his spouse paid an official visit to Vietnam on January 16 and 17, 2013 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his spouse.
This was Abe’s first overseas trip after he took office in December 2012 and this was his second tour to Vietnam, following the first in his previous term in November 2006. During the visit, PM Abe also met with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Truong Tan Sang.
The visit successfully deepened the Vietnam - Japan strategic partnership signed in 2006, and promoted bilateral cooperation in politics, security, defence, economics, trade, investment and other fields.
Also during the visit, the two prime ministers formally announced the opening of the "Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year 2013" in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.
Japan and Vietnam officially established diplomatic relations on September 21, 1973. To date, the two countries are important strategic partners. The Vietnam visit by Shinzo Abe focused on economic and security issues.
Important partners
In 2012, Japan became the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 1,800 projects worth US$29 billion. In 2011, the bilateral trade turnover topped US$21 billion.
At the meeting between the two prime ministers, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation to promote Japanese investment into Vietnam and improve the business and investment environment for Japanese firms in Vietnam. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged continued support for Vietnam to realize the goals of industrialisation and modernisation by providing official development assistance (ODA). He announced a fresh grant of US$500 million for road and electricity projects.
He pledged continued cooperation in devising an industrialization strategy for Vietnam under the Vietnam - Japan cooperation framework through 2020, with a vision for 2030.
"For Japan, Vietnam is an important partner," Abe said in a joint press conference. "Our two nations share the same challenges, while our economies can support each other."
Consensus in conduct in the region
In the context of the region's many territory disputes involving Vietnam and Japan, the two prime ministers agreed that Vietnam and Japan must "play a more active role in maintaining regional peace and security." The two countries will work towards closer cooperation, including the promotion of a bilateral strategic partnership, to deal with "regional challenges". Speaking at the joint press conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed that the two countries hoped all disputes in the region would be settled "through peaceful negotiations on the basis of respect for international law."
While the strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region changing rapidly and dynamically, strengthening the relationship with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, will help maintain peace and stability in the region, and this is in the national interest of Japan. His first overseas destination, Vietnam, caught the public interest and matched the relations between the two countries.
The visit was seen as a starting point for thriving cooperative ties in the future.
Thanh Yen
Vietnamese
