At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, paid an official visit to Japan from October 30 to November 2, 2011. It was the first visit to Japan by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung since his reelection as Prime Minister at the 13th National Assembly Session in July 2011.

During the visit, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was received in an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and met with distinguished figures of the National Diet of Japan. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also visited Sendai City and Natori City in Miyagi Prefecture.

 

1. Solidarity Demonstrated since the Great East Japan Earthquake
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed sincere appreciation for the strong support and solidarity demonstrated by the Government and the people of Viet Nam in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The two leaders recognized that such expression of tremendous goodwill and warm sentiments are testimony to the close friendship fostered over the years between the Government and the people of Japan and Viet Nam.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda emphasized that in the time of unprecedented national crisis, Japan is determined to strengthen its ties with the international community and conduct reconstruction in a manner open to the world and that Japan would reshape itself into a more dynamic country, harnessing the support and solidarity offered to Japan from all over the world.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reconfirmed that, being a strategic partner of Japan, Viet Nam is willing to do its utmost within its capacity to support Japan in the recovery and reconstruction process in the wake of the natural disaster. At the same time, he expressed the conviction that the Government and the people of Japan would soon overcome the current difficulties to develop Japan into a more prosperous country.

 

2. Achievements since 2010 Japan-Viet Nam Joint Statement and Way Forward:
Based on the significant development of the Japan-Viet Nam relationship since the signing of "Japan-Viet Nam Joint Statement on the Comprehensive Development of Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia" on October 31, 2010 ("Joint Statement of 2010"), the two sides welcomed the fact that the two countries, as countries sharing strategic interest, established the foundation to further develop the strategic partnership between the two countries in a comprehensive manner.

The two sides reaffirmed to strengthen and deepen cooperation across key areas stated below.

(1) Strengthening Exchanges and Dialogues
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of strengthening exchanges and dialogues at high levels between the two countries, particularly by maintaining annual summit-level visits. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations at all levels and in all areas as well as the existing dialogue channels.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his gratitude for the warm reception extended to him by the Government of Japan. The two sides expressed their expectation that the Japanese leader would visit Viet Nam at a mutually convenient date for both sides in 2012.

The Vietnamese side extended an invitation to their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and other members of the Imperial Family of Japan to visit Viet Nam, particularly in 2013 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Viet Nam.

The two sides highly commended the achievements of the First Japan-Viet Nam Strategic Partnership Dialogue held in December 2010. The two sides reaffirmed that such dialogue enhances and deepens the strategic partnership of the two countries and contributes positively to peace, stability and prosperity of the region. The two sides decided to hold the second Strategic Partnership Dialogue in December 2011 in Tokyo.

The two sides welcomed the signing of the "Memorandum between the Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Ministry of Defense of Japan on Bilateral Defence Cooperation and Exchanges" by the two Defense Ministers during the visit to Japan by the Minister of Defense of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam H.E. Mr. Phung Quang Thanh in October 2011.

Considering that the two countries have a policy to promote wide-ranging cooperation in security and defense areas, the two sides shared the view that strategic dialogues need to be strengthened by starting up regular Subcabinet Defense Policy Dialogues in addition to the existing various working-level dialogues. The two sides shared the view that exchanges at all levels, including mutual visits of both high-ranking delegations as well as port calls by naval vessels of both countries, would contribute to the strengthening of mutual understanding and trust, and to the peace and stability of the region.

The two sides decided to hold the next Japan-Viet Nam Cooperation Committee meeting on an early and mutually convenient date. To enhance the cooperation between public and private sector in both countries, the two sides expressed their intention to hold the Public-Private Ministerial-Level Dialogue within the Committee's framework.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Viet Nam (1973-2013), the two sides decided to designate the year 2013 as the "Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Year," and further promote cooperation to organize events commemorating the friendship year.

(2) Economic Cooperation
The Vietnamese side highly appreciated Japan's assistance and the progress in the ongoing projects based on the Joint Statement of 2010. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his appreciation for Japan's continued assistance for Viet Nam's priority infrastructure projects, such as the North-South expressways, Hoa Lac High-Tech Park and the feasibility studies for the two sections of the high-speed railway: Ho Chi Minh-Nha Trang and Ha Noi-Vinh.

The two sides expressed their commitment to cooperate to promote in realizing important infrastructure projects in Viet Nam such as Long Thanh International Airport project through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model which allows the participation of a consortium of Japanese and Vietnamese firms, and the Government of Viet Nam assured that it will facilitate investment environment for Japanese companies. The two sides seriously considered to continue the study on Ha Noi Urban Railway construction project (Line 5) by a consortium of Japanese companies.

The Government of Japan also expressed its commitment to continue to consider assisting Ninh Binh-Bai Vot expressway project, Nha Trang-Phan Thiet expressway project and new railway line projects in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as Japan's commitment to provide assistance in priority areas such as institution and capacity building utilizing Japan's advanced technology and expertise.

The two sides welcomed the signing of Exchange of Notes for Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction Project between the two Governments as well as the signing of the Joint Venture Agreement to establish a consortium of multiple Japanese and Vietnamese companies. The two sides expressed the intention to extend their full support to the smooth implementation of Lach Huyen Port Infrastructure Construction Project.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highly appreciated the decision by the Government of Japan to provide a total of 71.6 billion yen in Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans and welcomed the signing of the Exchange of Notes and Loan Agreements for four projects, namely the North-South Expressway Construction Project (Ben Luc-Long Thanh Section), the Project for Disaster and Climate Change Countermeasures Using Earth Observation Satellite, Nghi Son Thermal Power Plant Construction Project and Support Program to Respond to Climate Change. The two sides highlighted that Project for Disaster and Climate Change Countermeasures Using Earth Observation Satellite would also be useful for the Disaster Management Network for the ASEAN Region, which Japan had proposed on the occasion of the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in July 2011. The Japanese side expressed its intention of providing an ODA loan for the Regional and Provincial Hospital Development Project II, which improves the living standard of the people and contributes to maintaining sustainable development of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

(3) Trade and Investment
The two sides, faced with the current challenges in the world economy, reaffirmed the importance to strengthen the foundation of each country's economy and of the multilateral trading system to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced growth. The Japanese side welcomed the efforts by the Government of Viet Nam to stabilize macro economy of Viet Nam. The two sides confirmed the vital role the Agreement between Japan and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for an Economic Partnership (JVEPA) and the Agreement between Japan and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the Liberalization, Promotion and Protection of Investment in strengthening economic ties between the two countries, and recognized the importance of effectively implementing these Agreements. The two sides expressed their expectation to at least double the two-way trade volumes by the year 2020.

The Vietnamese side welcomed and appreciated the cooperation by the Japanese side to develop supporting industries in Viet Nam, particularly through technical and financial assistance. The Vietnamese side expressed its expectation to develop two specialized industrial parks, in cooperation with the Japanese side: one in Hai Phong and the other in Ba Ria-Vung Tau to further promote Japanese investment and develop supporting industries in Viet Nam.

In this regard, the Vietnamese side highly appreciated Japan's cooperation and assistance in the formulation and implementation of Viet Nam's industrialization strategy and its action towards 2020 and affirmed that it would establish the high level committee for that cooperation chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam.

The two sides welcomed the results of the negotiations of the Sub-Committee on Movement of Natural Persons under JVEPA and the signing of the "Memorandum on the acceptance of candidates of qualified nurses and certified careworkers from Viet Nam to Japan" to accept candidates of qualified nurses and certified careworkers from Viet Nam based on a mechanism to be decided by the two countries.

With a view to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and acknowledging the efforts by the Government of Viet Nam to ensure its trade measures to be consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and the Protocol of Accession of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the WTO, the Government of Japan declared that it will not apply paragraph 255 of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the WTO, with the understanding that the Government of Viet Nam continues its completion of market economy. The Government of Viet Nam highly appreciated the decision by the Government of Japan.

The two sides renewed their commitment to implement the package project for establishing e-Customs and single window by introducing the Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System (NACCS) in Viet Nam.

The two sides highly praised the success of Japan-Viet Nam Joint Initiative to Improve Business Environment, and welcomed the start of its Phase Four in July 2011, in which measures to further improve investment environment for Japanese businesses in Viet Nam would be discussed.

(4) Cooperation in Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change
The two sides welcomed the progress made in their cooperation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Japanese side committed to enhance nuclear safety by sharing the experience and lessons learned with regard to the nuclear accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant with utmost transparency and explained its plan of steps to enhance nuclear safety. The Vietnamese side, welcoming such Japan's efforts, explained in detail the necessity of nuclear energy for securing energy supply in Viet Nam and expressed its strong desire for the provisions of nuclear technologies from Japan. The Japanese side expressed its intention to provide Viet Nam with the technologies that represent the world's highest level of nuclear safety.

The Japanese side highly appreciated the Government of Viet Nam's approval of Japan-Viet Nam Agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Vietnamese side expressed its hope for the early conclusion of this Agreement, after the completion of necessary internal procedures in Japan.

The two sides recalled the decision by the Government of Viet Nam to choose Japan as the cooperation partner for building two reactors at the second nuclear power plant site in Ninh Thuan Province, Viet Nam. The two sides welcomed the progress made since the last Summit Meeting in October 2010 and the document to confirm such progress between the two Governments regarding cooperation on the project.

The two sides welcomed the progress made since the last Summit Meeting in October 2010 regarding cooperation in development of rare earths industry in Viet Nam and the document to confirm such progress between the two Governments, which promotes the cooperation in the investigation, exploration, exploitation and processing of rare earths in Viet Nam between both countries. The two sides also welcomed the cooperation in the first rare earth project in Dong Pao, Lai Chau Province, which would take place immediately after the signing of the document.

The two sides reaffirmed the urgent necessity of addressing the climate change. The two sides shared the view that, in order to protect true global interest, it is important to establish a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate as an ultimate goal. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of implementing the Cancun Agreements with a sense of urgency.

The two sides confirmed to cooperate constructively to make a success of COP 17 to be held in South Africa at the end of 2011. In addition to the negotiations at the United Nations, the two sides recognized the benefit of promoting bilateral/regional cooperation regarding low carbon growth in East Asia, a growth center of global economy where major emitters concentrate. The two sides welcomed the progress in the negotiations on Bilateral Offset Credit Mechanism and confirmed to continue discussions between the two countries. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed his intention to promote the "East Asia Low Carbon Growth Partnership" and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his support for this initiative.

(5) Cooperation in Science and Technology and Human Resource Development
The two sides welcomed the progress achieved in the Third Japan-Viet Nam Joint Committee on Science and Technology, held in Tokyo in August 2011. The Vietnamese side expressed the expectation that the Japanese side would enhance their support to improve the research capacity of Vietnamese scientists through joint research activities and technology capacity building for Vietnamese enterprises.

The Vietnamese side emphasized the importance of human resources training in the industrialization and modernization plan of Viet Nam and expressed the expectation to promote scientific exchanges and researches between the two countries' universities and requested the Japanese side to continue supporting Viet Nam in training high-quality human resources, including the consideration to develop a high-quality university in Can Tho, Viet Nam.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen international cooperation for Green Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which aims at disaster prevention and environmental conservation utilizing ICT such as Sensor Network and Cloud Platform.

(6) Mutual Understanding between the Peoples of the Two Countries
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of promoting people-to-people exchanges, especially among youths and shared the conviction that cultural exchange activities would deepen mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung welcomed Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's willingness to continue various youth exchange programs, including the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange of Students and Youths (JENESYS) program.

The two sides lauded the success of the annual Viet Nam Festival in Japan and the Second Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Music Festival in Hanoi and noted their contribution to the promotion of mutual understanding and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

(7) Regional and International Cooperation
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of making efforts to enhance ASEAN connectivity towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015. In addition, the two sides welcomed the progress of cooperation achieved since the Second Mekong-Japan Summit meeting held in October 2010, and noted that the progress made in the implementation of "Mekong-Japan Action Plan 63" had further enhanced ASEAN Connectivity.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed the Government of Japan's intention to further promote concrete cooperation in areas such as assistance towards strengthening ASEAN Connectivity and disaster management, in order to proactively support ASEAN integration and community building by 2015. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highly appreciated such contribution by the Government of Japan. The two sides shared the importance of strengthening cooperation in those regional frameworks such as Mekong-Japan, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN+3, EAS, ARF and APEC to realize a prosperous and stable Asia. The two sides confirmed the importance of strengthening the open and multi-layered network of regional cooperative frameworks, which are mutually supporting and reinforcing with ASEAN as the driving force, contributing to the further enhancement of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific Region.

In this context, especially with regard to EAS, the two sides confirmed that they would closely cooperate with each other in the run-up to the Sixth East Asia Summit in November this year in order to continue to promote EAS's vision, principles, objectives and modalities, strengthen global norms and universally recognized values, and move progress and cooperation in the EAS further forward to cope with new challenges in political, security and economic areas.

The two sides confirmed that the peace and stability of the South China Sea is a common interest of the international community. The two sides welcomed the adoption of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and called for the full implementation of DOC and the early formulation of a Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with established international law. The two sides confirmed that freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce, and compliance with established international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) and the peaceful settlement of disputes corresponds to the interests of the countries in the whole region. The two sides shared the recognition that these same interests should also be advanced and protected in the South China Sea.

The two sides reiterated their support for the goal of complete and verifiable denuclearization in the Korean Peninsula. The two sides called for full implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions as well as the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. In this context, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of concrete actions to create an environment conducive to the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, while expressing support for the inter-Korean dialogue as a sustained process going forward. The two sides also underlined the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns of the international community, such as the abduction issues.

The two sides reaffirmed their determination to advance their cooperation for early reform of the UN Security Council, which would include expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reaffirmed Viet Nam's support for Japan to become a permanent member of the Security Council. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed appreciation for Viet Nam's support for it.

The two sides expressed their satisfaction and highly commended the outcome of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's official visit to Japan, and shared the commitment to continue to comprehensively develop the strategic partnership between Japan and Viet Nam.

 

Tokyo, 31 October 2011

	Prime Minister of Japan	Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
	Yoshihiko Noda	Nguyen Tan Dung