Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam plays an important rolein Japan’s policy on ASEAN as well as its efforts to maintain orderin the Indo-Pacific, stated Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takioin an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

Japan will welcome Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’strip to Japan for the summit, and hopes to foster cooperation with Vietnam topromote the comprehensive strategic partnership in the coming time, said theambassador.

He underlined that the scheduled talks between the PrimeMinisters of Japan and Vietnam during PM Chinh’s visit will be the first to beheld after the bilateral relations were upgraded to a ComprehensiveStrategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World duringVietnamese President Vo Van Thuong’s official visit to Japan in November.

He said that high-ranking leaders of the two countries willdiscuss important activities to further deepen bilateral relations across allfields, including economy, on the foundation of the new partnership.

Regarding the Japan-ASEAN ties, the diplomat said that overthe past 50 years, Japan has accompanied ASEAN member countries, especiallyVietnam, during the grouping’s development and integration process. Japan hassupported the growth of the ASEAN region through development cooperationprogrammes in different areas, he said.

Japan and ASEAN areimportant trade and investment partners, he underlined, noting thatin recent years, Japan has not only combined the impressive growth of ASEANwith the Japanese economy but also provided products, services and employmentopportunities to the association, contributing to the growth of ASEAN membercountries.

Japan and ASEAN sharea sincere, trustful and heart-to-heart friendship that goes beyond developmentand economic cooperation to people-to-people exchanges in various fields,stated the diplomat.

He underlined thatJapan and ASEAN have supported each other during the hardest times such as thedevastating tsunami in eastern Japan or the COVID-19 pandemic, while treating eachother as sincere friends in the “heart to heart” spirit.

Regarding major contents of the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Yearof ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, the Japanese ambassadorsaid that during the event, Japanese PM Kishida Fumio and ASEAN leaders will sketchout orientations to promote partnership between Japan and ASEAN. This will be based on the foundation of cooperative and trustful relations developed overthe past 50 years. They will discuss emerging issues such as climate changeresponse.

Japan hopes thatthrough the discussions, the two sides will come up with a new vision towardsthe future and specific actions that will be shown in a joint statement to beissued at the end of the event, thereby further strengthening the Japan-ASEANties, the diplomat said./.