Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said that during the third meeting of the Vietnam – Japan Cooperation Meeting, Japan once again affirmed that it would actively cooperate with Vietnam to continue the implementation of three big strategic projects.

The meeting was included during an official visit to Japan since January 15 by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the invitation of Japan’s Foreign Minister.

Vietnam – Japan economic partnership agreement efficiently implemented

Saying that the meeting was successful, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem noted that the two sides had reviewed the cooperation between the two countries after the second meeting in Hanoi in 2008.

In terms of economic cooperation, Japan reaffirmed that it would actively cooperate with Vietnam to continue the implementation of three big strategic projects, including the north – south high speed railway, the north – south highway road and the Hoa Lac hi-tech zone.

In terms of investment and trade cooperation, the two sides exchanged measures to rapidly and efficiently implement the Vietnam – Japan economic partnership agreement that was signed in December 2008.

In addition, the two sides agreed to promptly negotiate on the cooperation in the training of Vietnamese nurses to work in Japan, the development of a supportive industrial sector in Vietnam, and the quarantine of plants so that Vietnamese agricultural products, which are favoured by Japanese, have greater opportunity to access the Japanese market.

   A corner of the Hoa Lac hi-tech zone, one of the three strategic projects between Vietnam and Japan.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue to strictly cooperate with each other at the regional and international forums, especially in 2010 when Vietnam holds ASEAN Chairmanship and Japan is the host of the Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

On the sidelines of the third Vietnam – Japan Cooperation Meeting, the two sides held their first meeting on the exchange of information relating to Vietnam’s market economy regulation, in order to help Japan understand, more clearly and promptly recognize Vietnam’s economy as a market economy.

Vietnam – Japan relationship developing well

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem assessed that the Vietnam – Japan friendship and cooperation relationship is developing very well. The new Japanese Government, led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, repeatedly confirmed the great importance of increasing its relationship with Vietnam.

Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) committed for Vietnam has reached a record of USD 1.6 billion in 2009 despite the global economic and financial crisis.

Regarding the Vietnam – Japan economic partnership agreement which went into effect 1 October 2009, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it was an event of great significance and created an important legal foundation for the promotion of investment and trade between the two countries, especially for Vietnamese agricultural products in the Japanese market.

(CPV)