Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Takagi Kei (Photo: Tuan Anh)

 During a reception in Hanoi on October 18 for Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Takagi Kei, who led the Japanese delegation to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum 2022, Son spoke highly of Japan’s practical support and important contributions in its role as a co-chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme.

 He suggested Takagi and the Japanese Foreign Ministry continue promoting bilateral ties in the fields of official development assistance, investment, trade, labour, tourism and locality-to-locality cooperation in mutually beneficial spirit.

 Son proposed Japan assist Viet Nam in speeding up industrialisation and modernisation; building an independent, self-reliant economy in combination with deep international integration, supply of new-generation ODA, strategic infrastructure, digital transformation and green transition.

 On the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year, Son suggested the two foreign ministries work closely together to promote exchanges and high-level meetings, as well as hold activities in the two countries’ localities.

 The host wished Japan would make it easier for Vietnamese citizens to apply for visas, thus bolstering tourism and people-to-people exchange between the two nations, and offer support to the Vietnamese community living and working there.

 Vice Minister Takagi, for his part, affirmed that Viet Nam plays a top important role in Japan’s external policy in the region.

 Japan will continue assisting Viet Nam in its development, he promised, adding that Japan wants to foster bilateral coordination from politics, diplomacy to trade, investment, climate change response, health care, education, labour, tourism, cultural exchange and locality-to-locality cooperation.

 On cooperation in regional and global issues, Takagi congratulated Viet Nam on its election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure. He vowed to work closely with Viet Nam in OECD and ASEAN mechanisms and shared Viet Nam’s stance on the East Sea issue./.