Japan-Viet Nam Summit Meeting (Summary)
On May 21, commencing at 5:00 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, held a summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, who was on a visit to Japan to attend the G7 Hiroshima Summit. An overview of the meeting is as follows. Prior to the meeting, documents relating to three ODA projects were signed (see Note).
- Introduction
Prime Minister Kishida expressed his pleasure at welcoming Prime Minister Chinh to Hiroshima on the historic milestone of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Viet Nam, and his desire to work closely with Viet Nam, an important partner in realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)”. In response, Prime Minister Chinh congratulated Prime Minister Kishida for the success of the G7 Summit, and expressed his pleasure at participating in the G7 Hiroshima Summit as an outreach country and his desire to further promote bilateral cooperation and cooperation between the two countries in both regional and international arenas.
- Regional and international affairs
Regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Prime Minister Kishida mentioned the commitment to upholding the UN Charter principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the view that any unilateral change of the status quo by force is not acceptable anywhere in the world. Prime Minister Chinh welcomed the fruitful discussions in the G7 Hiroshima Summit on the peace and stability of the world. The two leaders confirmed that they will continue to cooperate in dealing with the situations in the East and South China Seas and issues regarding North Korea, including the nuclear and missile issues as well as the abductions issue.
- Bilateral relations
(1) Prime Minister Kishida expressed his pleasure at the signing of documents on the three ODA projects (see Note), including a loan for financial assistance, and his desire to continue to actively support Viet Nam through ODA in areas where Japan’s technology and expertise can be utilized. In response, Prime Minister Chinh stated that Japan is Viet Nam’s largest ODA donor and expressed his desire to utilize ODA for the socio-economic development of Viet Nam.
(2) Prime Minister Kishida stated that many Japanese companies attach importance to Viet Nam, expressing hope for continued efforts to improve the investment environment in the country. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that under the new plan for FOIP announced in March this year, efforts will be made to foster highly skilled human resources, including those in the digital sector, and to promote industrial modernization and smart cities, among other areas. Prime Minister Chinh stated that Japan is Viet Nam’s important economic partner, expressing hope for further investment in Viet Nam from Japanese companies. Prime Minister Chinh also expressed his desire to further strengthen cooperation with Japan in the sectors of infrastructure, digital and human resource development, among other areas.
(3) Prime Minister Kishida expressed his desire to further cooperate with Viet Nam to achieve net zero, including by promoting the concept of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC). Prime Minister Chinh stated that Viet Nam aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and expressed his desire to cooperate with Japan and the rest of the international community.
(4) The two leaders also confirmed that they will work together to promote initiatives regarding technical interns and the Vietnam Japan University.
- Conclusion
The two leaders shared the view to elevate their bilateral relations to a higher level and to work together to develop Japan-Viet Nam relations. Prime Minister Kishida also stated that he looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Chinh to Japan for the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.
[Note] Yen Loan “COVID-19 Response Support Loan”, Yen Loan “Public Transport Infrastructure Improvement Project in Binh Duong Province” and Yen Loan “Project for Upgrading Infrastructure for Agricultural Development in Lam Dong Province (Phase 1)”.
