Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (Kyodo/VNA)

Tokyo (VNA)♏ – Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide left Tokyo onOctober 18, beginning his first overseas trip after taking office, with Vietnamas his first leg.

It is the secondJapanese PM, after PM Abe Shinzo, to choose Vietnam as the first destination as part of his first foreign trip.

Vietnam and Japan officiallyestablished diplomatic ties in September 1973. In the recent two decades,bilateral relationship has grown strongly and substantially in various areasthanks to cultural similarities and strategic benefits. Their leadersmaintained regular visits and exchanges at regional and global forums.

Currently, Japan isthe fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam with a two-way trade of 40 billionUSD, and the second largest investor among 138 countries and territoriesinvesting in the country with 4,595 projects worth nearly 59.87 billion USD inSeptember. It is also the largest supplier of official development assistanceto Vietnam.

Bilateral ties havebeen upgraded from trusted and long-term stablepartnership in 2002, to towardsa strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2006, and strategicpartnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2009, and extensive strategicpartnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in 2014.

Commenting on the development ofbilateral ties, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam said over the past47 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Vietnam andJapan have become closer within the framework of the extensive strategicpartnership for peace and prosperity in Asia. Japan made importantcontributions to Vietnam’s economic development and vice versa.

In the past decade, bilateralbonds grew considerably, especially in trade, investment and people-to-people exchange,laying a foundation for stability and peace in Southeast Asia and a widerregion.

Nam said Suga’s choice ofVietnam as the first destination inherits Japan’s policy in the past, especiallyunder the administration of former PM Shinzo Abe, reflecting Japan’s appreciationfor Vietnam in particular and ASEAN in general.

Sharing the same view, Director ofthe VietnamEconomic Research Institute in Japan Moribe Hiroyuki described Vietnam as a significant partner in Japan’s external policyand one of a few countries visited by the Japanese Emperor. The two nations alsoshare common interests.

At a press conference in Tokyo onOctober 16, a Japanese official at the Foreign Ministry said Japan hopes that the visit will contributeto promoting bilateral ties following the COVID-19 pandemic and in thesettlement of regional issues.

♌ Ambassador Nam said the twocountries’ leaders will discuss measures to further develop bilateral economicties. 

Amid emerging challenges in Asiaand Southeast Asia, political-security issues, diplomatic ties and cooperationon international arena will be part of their agenda.

⭕ Nam hoped that they will talk indetail joint work in the fight against COVID-19, especially the opening ofborder gates and resumption of commercial flights to facilitate economic, tradeand people-to-people exchanges./.