Hanoi (VNA) – The relationship betweenVietnam and Japan has made firm strides towards the opening of a new period,and is expected to grow further in the future, Japanese Ambassador Yamada Takiohas said.

In an interview with the press ahead of JapanesePrime Minister Kishida Fumio’s visit to Vietnam from April 30 – May 1, theambassador said the two countries have reaped considerable achievements across spheressince the trip to Japan by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in November 2021,despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by Kishida in hiscapacity as the Prime Minister of Japan, Yamada stressed, expressing his belief thatleaders of the two sides will have candid discussions to strengthen thebilateral ties.

Recalling the Japan trip by PM Chinh, the ambassadorsaid the two Government leaders shared the view on the endless potential of therelationship which is not only bilateral but also regionally and globally strategic.

The “Towards the Strategic Partnership for Peace andProsperity in Asia” joint statement and a list of cooperation projects havealso been announced, he added.

Since PM Chinh’s visit, the cooperation scope betweenthe two countries has been expanded, from bilateral economy to politics and security, andregional and international issues.

According to the diplomat, despite limitedinvestments globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese investors are stillinterested in the Southeast Asian nation.

He cited the Vietnam-Japan investment promotionconference held on the occasion of PM Chinh’s visit which saw theparticipation of 1,000 people, both online and offline, as an example. At the conference, 45 memoranda of understandingworth up to 12 billion USD were inked, he said, attributing this togrowth potential, political stability, outstanding human resources, and culturalcloseness between Vietnam and Japan.

Lauding Vietnam’s efforts in shifting towards greengrowth and cut carbon emissions, and PM Chinh’s commitments to carbon emissionneutrality by 2050 at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties(COP26), Yamada suggested the country continue to draft initiatives to achievethe target.

The diplomat also highlighted the joint action planon climate change towards carbon neutrality signed by Japanese Minister of theEnvironment Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi and Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment Tran Hong Ha during PM Chinh’s visit.

Japan will enhance comprehensive cooperation withVietnam, covering policy, technology and finance, with the waste-to-energyplant project in Vietnam’s northern province of Bac Ninh as an example.

Under the Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM), the JapaneseGovernment will provide financial aid for Vietnam to purchase equipment usingJapanese technologies, and further contribute to the circular economy in thecountry.  

Up to 40 JCM projects have been approved in Vietnamso far, the ambassador pointed out, stressing that Japan will foster such kind ofcooperation in the time ahead./.