Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on the podium, listening to the military band playing the national anthems of the two countries. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

This is Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's first visit to Vietnam since he took office and also his first visit to Vietnam after the two countries upgraded their relationship to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World" in November 2023.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife came to the car door to welcome Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and his wife, showing respect and affection. After a warm handshake, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and his wife happily received a bouquet of fresh flowers from children in Hanoi.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru review the Vietnam People's Army's Guard of Honor. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The welcoming ceremony was held according to the highest protocol reserved for foreign Prime Ministers visiting Vietnam. When the two leaders stepped onto the podium, under the national flags of the two countries, the national anthems of Japan and Vietnam were played. In a solemn atmosphere, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru stepped forward to salute the national flags of the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru review the Vietnam People's Army's Guard of Honor. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

With majestic music playing, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh invited Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru to inspect the Guard of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army. After that, the two Prime Ministers introduced to each other the members of the two countries' high-ranking delegations attending the welcoming ceremony; and together witnessed the welcoming parade of the Guard of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army.

After the welcoming ceremony, the two Prime Ministers moved to the Government Office for talks. Before the talks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru visited a photo exhibition on the country, people and good relations between Vietnam and Japan, organized by the Government Office in coordination with the Vietnam News Agency.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on an official visit to Vietnam. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA.

It is expected that during the official visit to Vietnam, along with the talks, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will have public diplomacy activities and attend the High-Tech, Green Transformation and Semiconductor Forum. The Japanese Prime Minister will have meetings with the highest leaders of the Party, State, and National Assembly of Vietnam along with other important activities.

After 52 years of establishment, nurturing and building, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has been constantly consolidated and comprehensively developed in all fields, becoming a bright spot in implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of international relations of the Party and State of Vietnam, especially when the two countries upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the world in November 2023.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh introduces to Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru members of the Vietnamese delegation attending the welcoming ceremony. Photo: Duong Giang-VNA

The two countries regularly maintain contacts and exchanges at all levels with high political trust; effectively maintain cooperation and dialogue mechanisms; and closely and effectively cooperate at international and regional forums, making increasingly positive contributions to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region, in line with the Vietnamese State's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization.

Economic and trade relations are an important pillar and a bright spot in bilateral relations. Japan is currently the largest provider of ODA loans and aid, the largest labor cooperation partner, the third largest investor, and the fourth largest trade and tourism partner of Vietnam.

Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 will reach 46.2 billion USD; as of March 2025, Japan has 5,557 valid investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered investment capital of more than 78.6 billion USD. Vietnam has 126 investment projects in Japan with a total registered capital of 20.6 million USD.

In particular, by the end of fiscal year 2024, Japan will provide Vietnam with about 2,550 billion Yen (equivalent to more than 23 billion USD) in ODA capital. Many projects and works have become symbols in the relationship between the two countries such as: Nhat Tan Bridge, Terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport and most recently, Metro Line No. 1 of Ho Chi Minh City...

Children in the capital welcome Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's official visit to Vietnam. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The two countries also cooperate effectively in many other fields such as culture, education and training, health care, tourism, cooperation between localities, labor, etc. In particular, Vietnam is the first country in the world to officially introduce Japanese into teaching at secondary and primary schools; the number of Vietnamese students in Japan currently reaches more than 51,000 people. Japan has supported the upgrading of 4 Vietnamese universities and the establishment of the Vietnam-Japan University in Hanoi.

The Vietnam Festival in Japan, the Japan Festival in Vietnam and the Japan Cherry Blossom Festival in Vietnam... are always welcomed by the people of both countries. Vietnam is the leading country among 15 countries sending workers to Japan, with about 310,000 people.

Vietnamese and Japanese localities have signed more than 110 cooperation documents, of which typical relationships include Ho Chi Minh City with Osaka, Nagano; Hanoi with Fukuoka, Tokyo; Da Nang with Sakai, Yokohama; Hue - Kyoto; Quang Nam - Nagasaki; Hung Yen - Kanagawa, Hai Phong - Niigata... The Vietnamese community in Japan has exceeded 600 thousand people, the second largest community in Japan and in the world and is continuing to increase.

On the basis of good relations, the official visit to Vietnam by Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru this time is of great significance. During the visit, along with strengthening political trust, the leaders of the two countries will focus on in-depth discussions on strategic cooperation areas.

Accordingly, Japan continues to support and assist Vietnam in implementing three strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure and human resources, helping Vietnam industrialize and modernize; promoting economic-trade-investment cooperation by improving the investment environment, promoting supply chains, and expanding markets for each other's goods.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife chaired the welcoming ceremony for Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and his wife on an official visit to Vietnam. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The two sides strive to soon open the market for Vietnamese grapefruit and Japanese grapes; discuss the possibility of opening the market for other fruits and agricultural products of the two sides such as Vietnamese passion fruit and Japanese peaches...

The leaders of the two countries will discuss new pillars in the cooperation relationship between the two countries, suitable to the new situation such as: science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, new energy; towards close coordination to enhance cooperation in a number of potential areas such as: natural disaster prevention, climate change response, environmental protection, emission reduction..., as well as responding to regional and international challenges.

The visit contributes to further strengthening the friendship and solidarity between the people of the two countries, creating a solid foundation for the Vietnam - Japan relationship to continue to develop strongly and sustainably, for the benefit of the two peoples, actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

VNA

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-chu-tri-le-don-thu-tuong-nhat-ban-va-phu-nhan-tham-chinh-thuc-viet-nam-post411683.html