Japan-Viet Nam Summit Meeting (Summary)

On December 16, commencing at 4:10 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio held a summit meeting with H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, who is visiting Japan to participate in the Commemorative Summit for the 50 Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. The overview of the meeting is as follows. The meeting was preceded by the exchanging notes of three ODA projects (see note) on the same day.
 
The meeting was attended by Mr. SAITO Ken, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary MURAI Hideki, and others from the Japanese side, and Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs, Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment, Ms. Dao Hong lan Minister of Health, Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Minister of Transport, Mr. Dang Ngoc Khanh, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and others from the Vietnamese side. In addition, following the meeting, the two leaders issued a fact sheet outlining important cooperation initiatives in the economic field between the two countries.
 
1. Introduction
Prime Minister Kishida expressed his desire to further develop the relationship between the two countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. As the world is at a turning point in history, he emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with ASEAN, including Viet Nam, to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to ensure a world where human dignity is protected, he expressed his hope that this special summit will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the relationship between Japan and ASEAN by building on the trust that has been established over the years, and to pass it on to the next generation.
Prime Minister Chinh expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he received during his visit to Japan, and said that he was pleased to see the bilateral relationship developing in a wide range of fields under the comprehensive strategic partnership, and hoped to take this 50th anniversary as an opportunity to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.
 
2. Bilateral Relations
In the economic field, Prime Minister Kishida stated that he was pleased that three ODA projects (see note), including the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1, had been signed, that it was significant that the two countries had identified major economic projects for cooperation in the fact sheet at this summit meeting, and that both countries would like to proceed with these projects with speed. In response, Prime Minister Chinh stated that he would like to promote various economic projects in close cooperation with Japan, and that Japan is Viet Nam's largest ODA donor and he would like to utilize its ODA for Viet Nam's socioeconomic development. In addition, both leaders discussed various ways to strengthen the economic relation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Kishida stated that Japan would like to take the opportunity of the Asian Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) Summit Meeting to accelerate its efforts toward decarbonization together with Viet Nam, in order to achieve carbon neutrality. Prime Minister Chinh stated that Viet Nam would like to cooperate with the international community including Japan in this field.
In the security field, the two leaders agreed to further expand defense exchanges and promote cooperation for the transfer of defense equipment.
Regarding people-to-people exchanges, Prime Minister Kishida stated that Vietnamese human resources are essential for Japan's socioeconomic development and that he was pleased that skill exams for Specified Skilled Worker would now be conducted in Viet Nam. Prime Minister Chinh expressed his hope for further cooperation from the Japanese government to enable Vietnamese residents in Japan to play an even more active role.
 
3. Regional and International Situation
Prime Minister Kishida and Prime Minister Chinh also exchanged candid views on regional and international affairs. The two leaders agreed to work more closely together in dealing with regional and international situations, including the situation in East Asia, such as the response to North Korea, including its nuclear and missile issues and the abductions issue, the situation in East Asia, the situation in South China sea, the situation in Myanmar, the response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and the situation in Israel and Palestine.
 
(Note) Yen loan "Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Construction Project (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien (Line 1)) (IV)", Project for the Improvement of Medical Equipment at National Cancer Hospital Section (grant aid), Project for Human Resources Development Scholarship (grant aid)