The visit takes place in the context of Vietnam-Japan relations achieving strong, outstanding, and comprehensive development, with high political trust, in all fields from economics, trade, investment, security, defence, education,and culture to healthcare, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between localities from the two countries.
After establishing diplomatic ties on September 21, 1973, Vietnam and Japan continued to establish and upgrade the framework of bilateral relations, respectively from the Reliable and long-term stable partnership in 2002 to the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia (2009) and the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia (2014).
Senior leaders of the two countries have maintained regular visits and contacts at international and regional forums. The two sides have strengthened important cooperation mechanisms, such as the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee, the Joint Committee on Trade, Energy and Industry, and bilateral dialogue mechanisms on diplomacy, security, and defence. Vietnam and Japan have coordinated effectively and supported each other at multilateral forums and in international and regional issues.
Japan is Vietnam's most important economic partner, the largest official development aid (ODA) donor, the second largest partner in labour cooperation, the third largest partner in investment and tourism and the fourth largest partner in trade. The defence and security cooperation has been enhanced. The cooperation in agriculture and climate change adaptation has been increasingly practical. The two countries have actively implemented the medium and long-term vision on agricultural cooperation.
Japan has been increasing ODA grants for Vietnam's climate change response projects. The cooperation in education and labour has developed strongly. Vietnam ranks first among 15 countries sending workers to Japan and Japan actively supports Vietnam in training high-quality human resources, especially in the fields of science and technology, management, and services.
The cooperation between the localities from the two countries has been continuously expanded, with more than 100 pairs of localities establishing friendship and cooperation. The people-to-people exchanges have developed rapidly and extensively. In 2023, the two countries have organised many practical activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples.
President Vo Van Thuong’s official visit to Japan takes place in a year with special significance, marking the 50-year journey of friendship and extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan. Welcoming President Vo Van Thuong, Japan accorded the highest welcome ceremony, showing the great importance that Japan attaches to relations with Vietnam while proving that Japan always places Vietnam in a high position in the country’s foreign policy and wishes to reach a new development step in the Japan-Vietnam extensive strategic partnership.
This is the first official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong in his new position and the fourth visit of a President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Japan since the two countries established diplomatic relations. The visit continues to affirm the consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam to attach importance to Vietnam-Japan relations and consider Japan as a leading and important long-term partner. Vietnam wishes to boost their cooperation in a more practical, effective, and comprehensive manner as well as consolidate their friendship and increase understanding between the two peoples.
Marking an important milestone in the past 50 years of cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, the official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong contributes to further strengthening political trust and promoting effective implementation of cooperation between the two countries on the next journey.
The talks and meetings between President Vo Van Thuong and Japanese leaders during the visit will contribute to deepening economic, trade and investment cooperation, and strengthening the cooperation on new-generation ODA, defence, security, education, training, culture, and people-to-people and local exchanges, towards new cooperation fields that are consistent with the interests and concerns of both countries such as energy transition, climate change response,and supply chain diversification.
May the official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse be a great success, contributing to opening a new stage of development in the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, towards a new stature of Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership.
by NDO
