The Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) places great importance on reinforcing the extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia between Vietnam and Japan, said NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan during a meeting with the visiting Japanese Prime Minister, Suga Yoshihide, in Hanoi on October 19.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) meets with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide

She affirmed the Vietnamese legislature’s readiness to support major cooperation orientations between Vietnam and Japan in the future with the aim of deepening the extensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

The top Vietnamese legislator showed her appreciation for PM Suga’s choice of Vietnam as the destination for his first foreign visit after taking office, while expressing her hope that both sides would continue to inherit and carry forward their cooperation achievements.

She said she believes that under the sound leadership of PM Suga, Japan will grow stronger, making considerable contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

PM Suga’s Vietnam visit would be a great success and open up a new development period for stronger bilateral friendship and cooperation, she told her guest.

In response, PM Suga showed his elation at exchanges between the two countries’ parliamentarians, and affirmed that his nation desires to join hands with Vietnam to enhance the links.

He praised the Vietnamese NA leader’s role as Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) which was held online last month successfully amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the AIPA 41 has significantly contributed to pushing up solidarity between ASEAN parliamentarians.

The Japanese PM thanked the Vietnamese NA for presenting 20,000 face masks to Japan, which, he said, have been used at Japanese medical facilities.

Ngan said the Vietnamese and Japanese governments are working to speed up negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, and the Vietnamese legislature will soon consider and adopt  the deal once its negotiations and signing are finalized.

She asked the PM to convey her thanks to the Japanese National Diet for its active contributions to the AIPA 41.

The host leader also suggested the two governments continue to effectively carry out existing cooperation mechanisms and cooperate to soon conclude the RCEP this year.

She asked Japan to intensify cultural exchanges, cooperation between localities and high-quality personnel development collaboration by receiving Vietnamese trainees.

She thanked Japan for its support for Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight, and called for closer coordination between the two countries in this regard and the recovery of travelling and cooperation activities.

The Vietnamese legislature stands ready to listen to opinions of Japanese firms to fine-tune the domestic legal system in order to materialise Vietnam’s commitments to free trade agreements to which both Vietnam and Japan are signatories.

She suggested the Japanese PM facilitate mutual exchange visits at all levels, and affirmed that the Vietnamese legislature will go ahead with coordination with its Japanese counterpart to boost exchanges between parliamentarians’ groups and NA agencies.

The leaders shared their view on the significance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, and peacefully settling disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).