Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a discussion with Japanese businesses.

Attending the seminar were Deputy Prime Ministers Ho Duc Phoc and Nguyen Chi Dung; Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki; leaders of relevant ministries, branches and agencies; leaders of several provinces and cities; representatives of Japanese business associations and enterprises investing in Vietnam and leaders of major economic groups in Vietnam.

Over the past time, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World between Vietnam and Japan has continuously developed strongly, extensively and effectively in all fields.

By the end of July, Japan had 5,608 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered investment capital of 79.4 billion USD, ranking 3rd among 151 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with typical projects such as Nghi Son Petrochemical Refinery project, smart city project in Dong Anh district (Hanoi), Nghi Son 2 BOT Thermal Power Plant project...

On the other hand, Vietnamese investors have invested in 126 projects in Japan with a total registered investment capital of 20.5 million USD, with projects of some typical enterprises such as FPT, Rikkei, VMO...

Speaking at the seminar, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki stated that during the recent visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Vietnam, the two sides confirmed that the fields that Vietnam values such as semiconductors, digital transformation, green transformation, and disaster prevention and control are pillars of cooperation between the two countries in the future.

The two Prime Ministers agreed that both sides need to improve the investment and business environment on the basis of promoting the strengths of Japanese enterprises. Japanese enterprises closely follow the reforms of the Vietnamese Government, especially administrative procedure reform; expecting opportunities to cooperate with Vietnamese enterprises. Most recently, on August 8, the Japanese side organized an investment seminar in the Mekong Delta.

Appreciating Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's strong direction and setting a deadline to resolve the problems between the two sides, and thanks to that, Vietnam-Japan cooperation and investment projects have made good progress, Ambassador Ito Naoki said that the Japanese side will propose a new Japanese project, as well as new loan packages within the framework of the Asian Zero Net Emission Community (AZEC).

The Ambassador said that Japan wishes to achieve high economic growth with Vietnam and be a partner to support Vietnam in this process, aiming for more sustainable development for Vietnam.

At the seminar, the two sides reviewed and assessed the situation of cooperation, investment and trade between Vietnam and Japan; the resolution of difficulties in specific projects; and orientations for cooperation and investment between Vietnam and Japan in the coming time.

In particular, the Japanese side requested the Prime Minister to continue directing the resolution of a number of difficulties and problems in projects such as: the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway construction project; the Ho Chi Minh City urban railway project No. 1, Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien section; the Vietnam - Japan Cho Ray Friendship Hospital project; the Vietnam - Japan University construction project; the issue of popularizing hybrid vehicles (using both internal combustion engines and electric motors in parallel) ...

Japanese enterprises proposed that the Vietnamese side continue to coordinate to promote and implement projects in Vietnam such as: Urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; infrastructure development in the Mekong Delta; building a smart city in the North of Hanoi; projects within the framework of the Asian Zero Emission Community (AZEC); financial restructuring of the Nghi Son petrochemical refinery project; natural disaster prevention and climate change using Earth observation satellites, etc.

Together with leaders of Vietnamese ministries, branches, agencies and localities, answering and discussing issues of concern to Japan, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed and clearly suggested ways to handle and resolve opinions and recommendations of Japanese enterprises for each specific project.

Regarding the concern of Japanese enterprises for the issue of converting to green means of transport, the Prime Minister said that reducing emissions, protecting the environment, and responding to climate change is a national, comprehensive, global issue, requiring the joint efforts of all people, all levels, sectors, businesses and global cooperation to choose the most optimal solution possible with a suitable roadmap, ensuring the harmony of interests between people, businesses, and the State, for a green, clean life and the health of the people. The Party and State of Vietnam have no higher goal than maintaining independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and bringing an increasingly happy and prosperous life to the people.

Maximize the effectiveness of projects

Concluding the discussion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked the Japanese delegates for their sincere and enthusiastic opinions, expressing their desire for stable and long-term cooperation and investment in Vietnam; and thanked Japan for always working with Vietnam to foster the bilateral relationship over the past 50 years with affection, sincerity, trust, and efficiency, for the benefit of businesses, localities, and people of each country, and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

The Prime Minister also thanked and welcomed the Japanese diplomatic missions, JETRO, JICA, etc., which have been operating effectively in Vietnam for many years with a constructive and responsible spirit, contributing to promoting the connection between the two economies, effectively supporting businesses, and promoting the relationship between the two countries.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the two countries have upgraded their relationship to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World", opening a new era in bilateral cooperation. In particular, economic - trade - investment cooperation continues to play a pivotal role and is a prominent highlight: Japan is currently Vietnam's leading economic partner, the largest ODA provider and labor partner, the third largest investor, and the fourth largest trade and tourism partner of Vietnam.

The Prime Minister said that the two sides have had foundations from experience and good cooperation results in recent years and are continuing to move in the right direction in cooperation; the more difficult and complicated the situation is, the more we must unite, support and help each other at the highest level, promote sincerity, affection, trust and efficiency to achieve the highest efficiency in cooperation projects, including investment projects of Japanese enterprises in Vietnam with the spirit of "harmonious benefits, shared risks".

Appreciating the frank opinions of the delegates at the discussion on resolving difficulties in ongoing projects, the Prime Minister requested relevant agencies of the two sides to establish a joint working group with sufficient authority to coordinate, compare, and handle outstanding problems on the basis of reality according to regulations in August 2025, ensuring harmonious benefits, shared risks, if there are problems arising beyond regulations or without regulations, propose to competent authorities for proper handling; draw experience for other projects and in the future.

Quoting President Ho Chi Minh, "Nothing is difficult/Only fear that the heart is not steadfast/Digging mountains and filling seas/With determination, it will be done", the Prime Minister said that the spirit is to go to the bottom of the problem to handle it thoroughly, on the basis of being open-minded, listening, trusting each other, clearly stating the person handling the problem and the deadline for handling it.

Agreeing with and welcoming the proposals of the Japanese side on implementing projects in the coming time, the Prime Minister assigned specific tasks to ministries, branches, localities, and corporations to coordinate with the Japanese side, study and absorb opinions related to administrative procedures, land policies, tax policies, food hygiene and safety, procedures related to the retail system, etc.; and promote and implement specific projects in various fields, especially energy infrastructure, clean electricity, projects within the framework of the Asian Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) initiative, railway projects, mining and mineral processing, etc.

According to the Prime Minister, many issues that Japanese businesses are interested in are also issues that Vietnam has been actively addressing, such as the planned amendment of the Land Law at the upcoming National Assembly session, amendments to regulations on tax refunds, food hygiene and safety, etc.

The Prime Minister said that Vietnam is implementing three strategic breakthroughs including institutions, infrastructure and human resources, ensuring "open institutions, smooth infrastructure, high-quality human resources and smart governance"; in addition, arranging and organizing two-level local governments, focusing on people and businesses; implementing policies according to the "four pillars" with many priorities and incentives to develop the country quickly and sustainably, building an action-oriented, honest, creative, listening and receptive government. Vietnam is prioritizing rapid and sustainable development, green economy, digital economy, circular economy, knowledge economy; relying on science, technology, innovation, digital transformation.

The Prime Minister proposed that Japan, including Japanese enterprises, continue to accompany and support Vietnam financially (including FDI capital, new-generation ODA capital and indirect investment, participating in the International Finance Center in Vietnam), expand investment in Vietnam to create jobs and livelihoods for people; train high-quality human resources, especially in fields such as artificial intelligence, databases, semiconductor industry, new energy, renewable energy, biotechnology, healthcare, high-tech agriculture, etc.

Along with that, continue to transfer science and technology, smart governance (including national governance, local governance, corporate governance); contribute ideas to help Vietnam perfect its socialist-oriented market economic institutions; propose priority mechanisms to attract investment from Japan; support Vietnamese enterprises to participate in Japanese and global production and supply chains, etc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh believes that Japanese enterprises will continue to be associated with Vietnam in the development process; bring benefits to enterprises and to the two countries, peoples and nations; and continuously contribute to the prosperous development of the two countries as well as the relationship of "Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World".

According to VGP

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-chu-tri-toa-dam-voi-cac-doanh-nghiep-nhat-ban-2431367.html