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| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son receives Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki. (Photo: baoquocte.vn) |
He made the statement on July 18 while receiving the Japanese Ambassador who came to present his credentials at the beginning of his term in Vietnam.
Minister Bui Thanh Son congratulated Ambassador Ito Naoki on his appointment as the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, following the two countries' upgrade of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. The Minister expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in the bilateral relationship, characterized by frequent high-level exchanges and cooperation across various sectors such as economy, trade, investment, labor and climate change response, all of which have become deeper and more practical and effective.
Minister Bui Thanh Son highlighted the growing local, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, noting that the Vietnamese community in Japan has rapidly increased to over 560,000 people. He praised Ambassador Ito's extensive experience with Vietnam during his tenure at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and assured the Ministry's support to facilitate the ambassador's success during his term in Vietnam.
He urged the Japanese Ambassador to actively coordinate the implementation of the upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by enhancing high-level visits and dialogues, boosting economic, trade, and ODA cooperation, and expanding practical cooperation in new areas such as digital transformation, green transition, and achievements of net-zero emissions. He also expressed a desire for collaboration in training high-quality human resources, promoting local and cultural exchanges, supporting the Vietnamese community in Japan, and advocating for further simplification of visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens entering Japan.
Minister Bui Thanh Son requested Ambassador Ito to strengthen coordination and mutual support between the two countries at regional and international mechanisms and forums.
Ambassador Ito Naoki expressed his delight at starting his term in Vietnam amid significant advancements in bilateral relations, marked by impressive figures such as Japan being the second-largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam over the past two years, and bilateral trade volume increasing 1.8 times over the past decade to reach USD45 billion in 2023.
He emphasized that his primary task during his tenure is to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Japan, focusing on economic and investment cooperation, revitalizing ODA cooperation, and promoting specific collaborations within the framework of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative. He also highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation in human resource training, cultural exchanges and local partnerships.
The ambassador assured close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the agreements and common understandings reached by the high-level leaders of the two countries, thereby contributing to the increasingly comprehensive and practical development of Vietnam-Japan relations./.