Japan seeks to implement 15 energy projects worth over $20 bln in Vietnam

Japan wants to execute 15 projects worth over $20 billion in Vietnam's energy transition field, said Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

The projects are within the framework of the Asian Energy Transition Initiative (AETI) and the Asian Zero Emission Community (AZEC), Shigeru told Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during their talk in Hanoi on Monday.

Japanese PM Ishiba Shigeru is in Vietnam for an official visit from April 27 to 29.

Given the two countries' similarities in development strategies based on science-technology and digital transformation, the Prime Ministers agreed to identify cooperation in science-technology, innovation, and training of high-quality human resources as new pillars of bilateral relations.

They agreed to promote cooperation in such fields as digital economic development, semiconductors, quantum, nuclear energy, IT, artificial intelligence, green transformation, and energy transformation.

PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam considers Japan one of its most important and trustworthy partners. He assessed that the bilateral relationship has increasingly large potential based on political trust, long-standing people-to-people exchanges, and complementary strengths.

The Vietnamese cabinet leader highlighted four strategies to implement industrialization and modernization in the Southeast Asian country, including breakthroughs in science-technology, implementing the revolution of streamlining the administrative apparatus, developing the private economy, and building an independent and self-reliant economy associated with deep, substantial and effective integration.

At their meeting, the two Prime Ministers discussed and reached many common perceptions on major directions and measures to bring the bilateral relationship to a new height, focusing on five areas: political relations, economic ties with a focus on human resource connection, security-defense, science-technology associated with green transformation, and cooperation at multilateral forums.

The two sides agreed to promote high-tech agricultural cooperation to ensure the food supply chain and sign the Medium and Long-term Vision on Agricultural Cooperation for the period 2025-2030 in 2025.

Japan is currently Vietnam's largest provider of ODA loans and aid. The country is Vietnam's largest labor cooperation partner, third largest investor, and fourth largest trade-tourism partner.

Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 reached $46.2 billion. As of March 2025, Japan had had 5,557 valid investment projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of over $78.6 billion. Meanwhile, Vietnam has 126 investment projects in Japan, with aggregate registered capital of $20.6 million.

By the end of fiscal year 2024, Japan had provided Vietnam with about 2,550 billion yen (over $23 billion) of ODA capital. Many projects have become symbols of the bilateral relationship such as Nhat Tan Bridge, Terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport, and most recently Metro Line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's visit, at the invitation of Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, is his first trip to Vietnam since taking office.

It also marks the first official visit to the country by a Japanese PM since bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in November 2023, commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

After holding talks, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the exchange of important cooperation documents between ministries and agencies .

- An MoU on cooperation between Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on R&D cooperation in the field of semiconductors.

- An MoU between Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on cooperation in human resource development for the semiconductor sector.

- An MoU between Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on promoting bilateral cooperation projects in energy transition.

- A framework agreement on teaching Japanese in Vietnamese high schools between Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training and the Embassy of Japan.