Vietnam wants to further promote cooperation with Japan, the country’s top partner, in the spirit of strategic partnership for mutual benefit, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At a reception for former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and the Japanese parliamentarian delegation in Hanoi on Oct. 25, PM Dung suggested that both countries should join efforts to expand trade and investment to match with their potential.

He also proposed the Japanese parliament soon recognise Vietnam as a nation with a market economy and facilitate Vietnam’s agricultural products entering Japan’s market.

The PM said he hoped Japan would increase its official development assistance (ODA) capital for Vietnam’s infrastructure projects.

Vietnam is ready to cooperate with Japan in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) model to implement the Lach Huyen port construction project in the northern port city of Hai Phong, the North-South highway project, the Long Thanh airport project and others, said PM Dung.

He also hoped that the Japanese Government would help Vietnam build a high-quality university in the Mekong delta region.

The visit by Hatoyama and the Japanese parliamentarians delegation and the upcoming visit by PM Naoto Kan for the East Asia Summit in Vietnam would bring the two countries’ relationship to a new development level, he said.

Hatoyama sent his sympathy to the families of the victims in Vietnam’s central flood-hit region.

He said Japan is willing to support Vietnam in human resource training, finance, and atomic nuclear technology transfer and promote defence cooperation with Vietnam to increase security and maintain peace in Asia.

Japan is ready to receive Vietnamese nurses to work in the country, Mr. Hatoyama said.
He also expressed his interest in the Lach Huyen port construction project in Hai Phong and the North-South highway project.

The same day, at a meeting with Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Secretariat, Mr. Hatoyama said he was happy to witness Vietnam’s renewal achievements over the past 25 years.

He praised the comprehensive development of the Japan-Vietnam relationship.

Japan attaches importance to developing the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and deep and sustainable relationship with Vietnam, especially through the implementation of large cooperation projects, said Hatoyama.

The Politburo member hailed the current working visit to Vietnam by the Japanese parliamentarian delegation and highlighted the effective support and assistance of the Japanese Government, National Assembly and people to Vietnam over the past year.

By Thuy Hang