Japanese Ambassador revealed perspectives of ASEAN - Japan Partnership, Japan-Vietnam ties at new milestone: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders at the 26th ASEAN - Japan Summit on September 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: WVR/Anh Son)

Ambassador Takio Yamada said that the major orientation for ASEAN - Japan relations will be designed within the framework of the Commemorative ASEAN - Japan Summit as well as Japan-Vietnam relations will also contribute to the development of the region and the world.

With regards to theme of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit "Golden Friendship, Golden Opportunity", Ambassador Yamada elaborated his views on the ASEAN-Japan Strategic Partnership from the perspective of "friendship" and "opportunity".

According to the Ambassador, for many years, Japan and ASEAN have accompanied on the path of development and integration as important partners. The two sides joined hands to help each other during difficult times, such as the time of the East Japan earthquake and Tsunami or the COVID-19 pandemic, and cooperated as sincere friends in the spirit of solidarity "from heart to heart".

In September this year, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation, Japan and ASEAN established the Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to further promote cooperative relations as well as ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Major directions for future Japan-ASEAN relations and cooperation are expected to be given at the upcoming Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit. The Ambassador expressed his hope that this historic special Summit will become a "golden opportunity" to pass on the "golden friendship" between Japan and ASEAN to the next generation.

With regards to the role and position of ASEAN in the current regional and international context, as well as in Japan's overall regional policy, the Ambassador emphasized that Japan is consistent in supporting ASEAN centrality and unity. The goal of building a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” that Japan is aiming for shares core principles with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)” such as: Respecting openness, transparency, inclusiveness and international law. Therefore, ASEAN is an extremely important partner for Japan in promoting efforts consistent with this core principle.

Japanese Ambassador revealed perspectives of ASEAN - Japan Partnership, Japan-Vietnam ties at new milestone: Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Takio Yamada. (Photo: QT)

Regarding Japan-ASEAN economic cooperation in general, Vietnam- Japan cooperation in the economic field in particular, Ambassador Yamada noted that through economic cooperation activities (ODA) and investment of Japanese businesses in ASEAN in many fields, Japan has been supporting the development of the ASEAN region, including Vietnam.

He elaborated that Japan and ASEAN are important trading partners of each other as Japan ranks second after the United States in direct investment in ASEAN. In recent years, Japan's average annual direct investment in ASEAN countries has reached about 2.8 trillion yen, and there are about 15,000 facilities of Japanese enterprises located in ASEAN countries, contributing to economic development in these countries.

As stated in the “Japan-ASEAN Economic Co-Creation Vision”, proposed by the Japanese business community on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation, in the coming time, the two sides will strengthen two-way exchanges and active activities between ASEAN's new, diverse generation of human resources and Japanese human resources, which will be an important foundation for making new innovations, the Ambassador stressed.

Regarding economic cooperation between Japan and Vietnam, in the coming time, Japan hopes to cooperate with Vietnam in many fields such as green transformation, innovation, digital transformation, technology Industrialize - modernize and train human resources so that Vietnam can continue to achieve strong economic development said Ambassador Yamada. In addition, Japan also wants to revive ODA aid, especially support in building important infrastructure for Vietnam's development, he added.

According to the Ambassador, Japanese businesses are focusing great attention on Vietnam as an investment destination, where there is a population of more than 100 million people, with average income is increasing, and there is demand for domestically is high and the market gradually expands. Ambassador Yamada expects that Japanese businesses' investment and project implementation will become more and more active.

Regarding Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's bilateral activities in Japan, Ambassador Yamada noted that last November, the two countries' relationship was elevated to a "Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world". During this coming visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the two sides will hold the first Prime Minister-level talks after the upgrading bilateral relations. The leaders of the two countries will have a lively exchange on important measures to further deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields such as economics, based on the new partnership foundation, according to Ambassador Yamada.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and ASEAN leaders at the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit. (Photo: Anh Son)

On the momentum of upgrading Vietnam-Japan relations to "Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world", Ambassador Yamada recalled that 10 years have passed since Japan and Vietnam signed the "Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia". The relationship between the two countries has witnessed strong development, which contributes to peace and prosperity of the region and the world.

Ambassador Yamada said that Japan-Vietnam partnership comprehensively covers all areas of cooperation between the two countries, including areas of cooperation in economic sectors such as FOIP, innovation, and Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) or national defense and security, strengthening people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges, linkages on regional and international forums, and becoming the basis for strengthening these connections

Ambassador Yamada hopes that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's trip will achieve many good results so that Japan and Vietnam can contribute together to the development of the region and the world.