Hanoi (VNA) – Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and his spouseon October 20 wrapped up their official visit to Vietnam as guests of PM NguyenXuan Phuc and his wife.

This was PM Suga’s first overseas trip since he took office last month. Itmarked the second consecutive time that a Japanese PM has selected Vietnam asthe first overseas destination after taking office.

During his stay in Vietnam from October 18-20, PM Suga paida courtesy call on Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen PhuTrong; held talks with PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc; witnessed the exchange of signedcooperative documents; met with Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen ThiKim Ngan, received Head of the Party Central Committee’s OrganisationCommission and Chairman of the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’Group (VJFPG) Pham Minh Chinh, and met with students of the Vietnam – JapanUniversity.

At the meetings, both sides expressed their satisfaction about the strong and comprehensivedevelopment of Vietnam – Japan relations, with high political trust as well asmutual support and enhanced international collaboration in the fight againstthe COVID-19 pandemic. They agreed on orientations and measures that helpdeepen the Vietnam – Japan extensive strategic partnership.

They reached consensus on reinforcing political trust through maintaininghigh-level visits and meetings, improving the efficiency of existing dialoguemechanisms, and promoting ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam and theLiberal Democratic Party of Japan as well as between the two governments andparliaments.

They vowed to apply prioritised travellingmechanisms between the two nations, soon resume commercial flights and restorebilateral collaboration activities.

The two sides agreed to speed up the signing of mid- andlong-term visions for agricultural cooperation for the next period, soon openeach other’s markets for fresh Vietnamese longan and Japan’s tangerine, andincrease the number of Vietnamese apprentices to Japan in more fields.

They consentedto effectively carry out key cooperation projects, especially in climatechange, natural disasters prevention and control, improving capacity in copingwith drought and saltwater intrusion, environmental protection, ande-Government building.

Besides, the leaderspledged to work closely together at regional and international forums likeASEAN, Mekong and the United Nations, and to promote economic connectivity mechanismslike the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

They reaffirmedthe importance of ensuring peace, security, safety and freedom of navigationand aviation, and respect for law in the East Sea, especially the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They agreed tolift the Vietnam – Japan ties to a new height, deepen joint work in diverseareas, thus making active contributions to peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment in the region and the world.

On the occasion,the two PMs witnessed the exchange of 12 cooperative documents worth aroundnearly 4 billion USD signed between ministries, sectors, localities andenterprises of the two nations.

PM Suga’s official visit to Vietnam took place in the context that theVietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership has unceasingly developed invarious sectors and the mutual political trust has been reinforced. It was anopportunity for Vietnam to affirm itself as a safe destination amidst theglobal COVID-19 pandemic, highlight its socio-economic achievements, enhanceits position on the international arena and prove its determination toaccelerate international integration./.