Both Vietnam and Japan have shared the difficulties faced during the course of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with leaders from the two countries participating in a series of bilateral and multilateral video meetings as a way of devising greater solutions to prevent the further spread of the epidemic.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam 

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam promoted a message of co-ordination through remarks given in a recent interview with the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

The partnership that exists between Vietnam and Japan is strategic, with consultations between leaders being one of the key mechanisms to initiating co-ordination activities. Upon the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh took part in direct phone talks alongside Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, while Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a phone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Abe Shinzo, the Vietnamese diplomat said.

These meetings and phone talks saw both sides propose a range of drastic measures aimed at fighting the epidemic and helping their respective citizens overcome the various challenges caused by the COVID-19.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, have all been co-ordinating closely with the nation’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health as a means of arranging the repatriation of Japanese citizens based in Vietnam in addition to Vietnamese people stuck in Japan.

The Japanese government has facilitated the repatriation of
Vietnamese citizens stranded in Japan due to the pandemic 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan has therefore taken steps to promptly and continuously offer support to Vietnamese citizens who are facing difficulties during this period.

The nation has moved to provide maximum support for flights aimed at returning Japanese citizens to their country, whilst extending visas for Japanese nationals left stranded in Vietnam.

Ambassador Nam outlined his great appreciation for Japanese policies aimed at supporting Vietnamese citizens and foreigners who have been affected by the pandemic.

Japan has also allowed for all expired visa holders to automatically extend their visa, whilst Japanese small and-medium-sized enterprises have been supported to maintain production and business activities, therefore necessitating the recruitment of foreign labourers, including those from Vietnam.

The Japanese Government has also provided cash assistance as a means of helping both its citizens and foreigners.

Regarding medical assistance, Ambassador Nam applauded the Japanese Government's free treatment of foreign COVID-19 patients, particularly due to the high medical expenses needed to treat patients.

Medical support centres have also been established throughout Japan, serving to benefit foreigners as well as the Vietnamese community based in the Far East country, he added.

Both countries have also partnered together to provide medical supplies and manufacture ventilators, as well as strengthening the sharing of information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Nam said, noting that both nations have strived to maintain bilateral economic relations.

Most notably, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan are working together to bring Japanese experts and managers back to Vietnam. It is expected that they will resume management work to further facilitate production and business activities in the country, he said.