Vietnam, Japan elevate ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

Vietnam and Japan have lifted their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world".

At a joint press conference following their talks in Tokyo on Monday, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said they had adopted a joint statement on the elevation of ties, affirming both countries’ endeavors to bring the current cooperation in all areas to new heights and further expand it to new fronts.

"This is an important event, opening up a new chapter for the Vietnam-Japan relationship to develop substantially, comprehensively and effectively, meeting the interests of both sides and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world," stated President Vo Van Thuong.

Thuong and his spouse are making an official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese State.

In the joint statement, the two leaders highly valued the impressive and comprehensive growth of the friendship and cooperation between Japan and Vietnam since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, and particularly since the elevation of bilateral ties to an "extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2014".

Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting "a strong, independent, self-reliant, industrialized and modern Vietnam" as well as the importance of Vietnam in the implementation of Japan’s foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region, and highly valued its active and constructive contributions to regional and international affairs.

President Thuong noted that Vietnam always considers Japan a leading and long-standing partner and expressed his wish that Japan will continue to play its leading role in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Regarding multi-layered and multi-level dialogues and engagements, the two sides agreed to maintain high-level engagements on an annual basis, people-to-people contact, and province-to-province cooperation.

They concurred on effectively implementing current bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including at ministerial level, as well as periodic dialogue mechanisms at deputy ministerial level in fields such as diplomacy, defense, security, construction, transport, and disaster risk reduction.

Both sides welcomed close cooperation between the two foreign ministries and concurred on continuing with their support and cooperation for the smooth operation of both countries’ diplomatic and consular agencies.

The two leaders affirmed to bolster their substantive and effective defense cooperation, step up cooperation in the UN Peacekeeping operations, and address war remnant issues, such as ordnance disposal and dioxin remediation, military medicine, humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR), human resource training, and defense equipment and technology transfer to the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam.

Based on the agreement concerning the transfer of defense equipment and technology signed in September 2021, both sides concurred on the importance of steadily working on procedures for the transfer.

Prime Minister Kishida explained that Japan has established a new cooperation framework “Official Security Assistance (OSA)” for the purpose of deepening security cooperation and contributing to maintaining and strengthening international peace and security.

The two leaders agreed to bolster cooperation in maritime security and safety through the enhancement of cooperation activities, including joint training, information sharing, and capacity building between coast guards from both sides.

Vietnam and Japan agreed to continue strengthening economic links and affirmed the importance of cooperation to ensure economic security.

Japan reaffirmed it would continue supporting Viet Nam’s development of an independent and self-reliant economy that deeply engages in international integration, and Vietnam’s industrialization and modernization with the goal of becoming a developed country by 2045.

The two leaders welcomed the prospect that the actual amount of yen loans this fiscal year (FY) of Japan could exceed 100 billion yen for the first time since the Japanese FY 2017. The sides will accelerate their efforts to resolve outstanding difficulties, including through a cooperation framework to solve those issues.

The two leaders confirmed the enhancement of supply chain resilience to ensure stable production activities for the benefit of both sides, recognizing the importance of a transparent, diverse, secure, sustainable, and reliable supply chain.

Regarding human resources development, culture and tourism, interregional exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges, the two sides confirmed the enhancement of efforts to encourage Vietnamese students to study in Japan, to strengthen exchanges in the field of education between the two countries, and to promote Japanese language education in Vietnam.

They will strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries through activities, including tourism-culture festivals held in each country, as well as create a good environment for their citizens’ traveling.

Both sides will promote exchanges for Vietnamese technical intern trainees and workers in fields that suit the demands of both countries.

The two countries will bolster cooperation in emerging areas, such as energy, environment science and technology, green transformation, digital transformation, and innovation.

They will promote cooperation in the fields of smart power grids, smart cities, power market development, and localization of the energy industry, and further promote cooperation in the development of the digital economy and innovation in that field, thereby creating momentum for rapid and sustainable economic development.

The two leaders acknowledged the importance of facilitating free flow of data across borders, developing digital connectivity, and strengthening consumer and business trust in the digital economy.

In other areas, the two countries will continue to promote cooperation in the fields of law and justice, construction, transport, disaster risk reduction, and urban development.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders emphasized the importance of the free and open international order based on the rule of law and principles of upholding the UN Charter to promote cooperation and achieve peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world.

Vietnam and Japan reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality and concurred on working together to increase the effectiveness and role of Mekong-Japan cooperation in the time to come.

The two leaders expressed their concerns on the situation in the South China Sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea, and reiterated the importance of refraining from any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, or escalating tensions.

The two leaders affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded lawful economic activities in the South China Sea, exercising self-restraint and resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with UNCLOS, while reaffirming that UNCLOS is the most comprehensive international legal basis for the maritime domain.