Tokyo (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam, during his official visit to Japan, met separately with former Japanese Prime Ministers Ishiba Shigeru and Kishida Fumio, and Aso Taro, who is also Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), in Tokyo on November 10.
The two sides expressed their delight at the rapid and comprehensive development of Vietnam-Japan relations across all fields over the three years since the countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.
They acknowledged that cooperation in science and technology - a new pillar of bilateral ties, as well as emerging areas such as digital transformation, green transition, innovation and semiconductors, has made progress through concrete projects. Meanwhile, cultural cooperation, ties between localities and people-to-people exchanges have flourished and become increasingly substantive.
The former Japanese PMs highlighted the significance of General Secretary and President Lam’s visit, expressing their confidence that it will provide fresh impetus for the bilateral relations to reach new heights across fields. They also wished Vietnam success in hosting APEC Year 2027.
The top Vietnamese leader thanked the former Japanese PMs for their goodwill towards Vietnam and its people, as well as their significant contributions to bilateral friendship and cooperation over the years. He showed his hope that they will continue supporting efforts to elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with the Vietnam-Japan Joint Vision Statement recently adopted by the two countries’ leaders.
He proposed the two sides focus on four cooperation priorities, including strengthening political trust through regular exchanges and meetings across Party, State and parliamentary channels; promoting economic cooperation and connectivity while ensuring economic security; expanding collaboration in innovation, space technology and high-tech agriculture; and enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation between localities of the two countries.
The former Japanese PMs agreed with General Secretary and President Lam’s proposals, affirming that regardless of the positions they may hold, they will continue to support and promote efforts to usher bilateral relations into a new phase of development as advancing together and co-creating for mutual benefit, high-quality growth, strategic autonomy and resilience, meeting the aspirations of the two countries' people and making positive contributions to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Aso Taro affirmed his support for Vietnam’s reform process and development goals, while highly valuing the outcomes of the talks between General Secretary and President Lam and Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae on November 9.
He particularly welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the CPV and the LDP, stressing that he will continue supporting and promoting relations between the two countries and their ruling parties in the future. He also expressed his wish to visit Vietnam again soon.
Recalling his many longstanding memories of Vietnam during his tenure as Secretary General of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, Kishida Fumio affirmed that he will continue promoting high-level exchanges and enhancing the important role of the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries.
He also said he was particularly impressed by the top Vietnamese leader’s address to the Japanese Diet, which put forward practical proposals aimed at further deepening Vietnam-Japan relations.
Meanwhile, Ishiba Shigeru recalled his visit to Vietnam in April 2025 as Japanese Prime Minister, saying he highly appreciated the country's development. He spoke highly of Vietnam’s diplomatic achievements and its increasingly important contributions to regional and international affairs, affirming his continued commitment to promoting bilateral cooperation in the time ahead./.
