Tokyo (VNA) - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and the high-level Vietnamese delegation left Tokyo on the afternoon of November 11 (local time), concluding their four-day official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese State.
They were seen off at Haneda International Airport by Japanese Foreign Ministry officials, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu and his spouse, as well as staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan.
During the visit, General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse met with and attended a banquet hosted by the Japanese Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace. The Vietnamese leader attended the official welcome ceremony, held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, addressed the press and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents. He also delivered an address to Japan’s National Diet, visited Kanagawa prefecture and held several other important high-level engagements.
At their talks, General Secretary and President Lam and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae reaffirmed that Vietnam and Japan are each other's leading and long-term important partners, sharing many common interests, with the development of one country creating favourable conditions for the groth of the other. Vietnam is a priority partner in Japan's foreign policy and the implementation of its New Growth Strategy.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex international environment and building on a new strategic vision for bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to adopt a Vietnam-Japan Joint Vision Statement, elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World to a new height under the spirit of being partners that accompany, co-create and mutually benefit from one another, towards high-quality growth, strategic autonomy and resilience.
At their meetings, both sides spoke highly of the strong, comprehensive and substantive development of Vietnam-Japan relations in recent years, particularly since the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023. Political trust has been strengthened through regular high-level exchanges and contacts across Party, Government and parliamentary channels. Dialogue mechanisms among ministries, agencies and localities of the two countries have also been operating effectively.
The two sides agreed to promote high-level diplomacy and maintain regular exchanges and contacts to further strengthen mutual trust and understanding. They also underscored the importance of expanding exchanges through all channels, including the Party, Government, National Assembly channels, people-to-people exchanges and local-level cooperation, thereby reinforcing friendship between the two countries.
They agreed to continue close coordination and effectively implement the third phase (2025-2030) of the medium- and long-term vision for Vietnam-Japan agricultural cooperation, while expanding high-quality agricultural cooperation to ensure food security through investment, technology and knowledge transfer, and high-quality human resources training.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation under MIDORI Cooperation Plan between Japan and ASEAN member states. They welcomed the near completion of technical consultations on market access for Vietnamese pomelos and Japanese grapes, expressing their hope that the two products could enter each other's markets from next year.
Both sides agreed to advance science, technology and innovation as a pillar of bilateral cooperation, with an emphasis on partnership, co-creation and public-private cooperation. They also agreed to promote collaboration in space technology, marine and ocean sciences, artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, semiconductors, medical technology, advanced biotechnology, high-tech agriculture and strategic minerals.
The two countries will continue to expand joint research projects, particularly in AI, broaden the NEXUS Programme and facilitate the participation of Vietnamese doctoral researchers in research and training programmes in Japan in semiconductors and AI. They also agreed to effectively implement 14 projects under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM).
The two sides further agreed to strengthen human resources connectivity, promote people-to-people exchanges and local-level cooperation, and expand collaboration in healthcare, labour and education.
They will work closely to organise the third Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum in 2027, enhance educational and training cooperation and develop high-quality human resources. They also concurred to promote cooperation in healthcare and elderly care, expedite negotiations towards signing a bilateral Social Security Agreement, and launch consultations on a Consular Notification and Contact Agreement./.
