Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse are welcomed at Kansai International Airport, Osaka, by Japanese officials.

The interview runs as follow:

Leaders of G20 countriesand guest countries will meet in Osaka, Japan at the end of June. Would youelaborate on opinions Vietnam will contribute to this Summit?

This is the fourth time in more than 10 years Vietnam has attendedthe G20 summit (the latest attendance was in July, 2017 in Germany), an important multilateral forum in the world economic governance system.

It asserts the world community’s recognition of the prestigeand position of Vietnam of renovation and integration, a reliable partner forregional peace, security and growth in the region, and delivers an expectation that the country will continue making responsible contributions to the world’s economic matters. It also constitutes the growing intensive strategic partnership as well as sharing and mutual support at many regional and international issues between Vietnam and Japan.

As a responsible member of the international community,Vietnam has made positive and practical contributions to the agenda of the G20,especially in reinforcing the multilateral trade system, economic connectivity,high-quality infrastructure development, renovation promotion, digital economy,as well as the implementation of UN Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development,climate change response, maritime environmental protection, plastic waste prevention,and women empowerment… These matters are significant to the sustainable andinclusive development in all countries.

At the upcoming 14th G20 Summit, Vietnam, with developmentreality stemming from its intensive international economic integration, willshare visions, cooperation ideas and efforts to deal with the above-said issuesin the hope of joining hands with the world community for a green earth and a peacefulworld growing and thriving together where no one is left behind.

What do you think about Vietnam-Japan relations in therecent past, and what do you expect from this relationship in the future and thefields Vietnam wishes to further enhance cooperation in with Japan?

The Vietnam-Japan extensive strategicpartnership is developing strongly, substantively and comprehensively, thus meeting the aspirations of the two people and bringing about practical benefits to them, and actively contributing to peace, stability, prosperity, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

In terms of politics, the two sides havemaintained frequent mutual visits and meetings at different levels, especially highlevels, helping to enhance the political trust between the two countries. Inthe Japanese side, the Japanese Emperor and Empress paid the first historicvisit to Vietnam in 2017, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Vietnam twice in 2017. In the Vietnamese side, senior leaders of Vietnam visitJapan every year. For me, this is my fourth trip to Japan as Prime Minister.

Cooperation in security-defence between the twosides has also attained substantive strides. The Japanese Government has assisted Vietnam in war consequences settlement through the assistance for unexploded ordnance clearance, support for Agent Orange victims, and cooperation intraining in defence, search and rescue and participation in United Nationspeacekeeping missions. Naval vessels of Japan have regularly made friendship visitsto Vietnamese ports.

Regarding economy, Japan is the leading partnerof Vietnam in terms of investment, trade and tourism, and also the biggest ODAsupplier for Vietnam.

Facilities built with the support of Japanese ODA loansand investment projects of Japan are present in almost all provinces and citiesof Vietnam and in many different fields, greatly helping Vietnam to realize thethree strategic breakthroughs and promote socio-economic development, economicrestructuring and sustainable development. Japan was the No. 1 investor ofVietnam in 2017 and 2018.

Cooperation between the two countries’localities has also been increasingly vibrant and people-to-people exchange hasunceasingly been expanded and diversified.

The Vietnamese community forms thethird largest community of foreign residents in Japan with more than 300,000people, most of whom are students and apprentices.

Those young people are animportant source of manpower for Vietnam in the future, and they are alsocontributing to Japan’s socio-economic development and serving as a friendshipbridge and an important foundation to develop the sustainable Vietnam-Japanrelationship.

Aside from bilateral cooperation, the two sideshave also actively cooperated with each other at international and regionalmultilateral forums like the United Nations, the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM)…, thereby contributing to peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment.

The two sides have also coordinated closely to promote the signingand ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and are working together to effectivelyimplement the deal.

As the country coordinator of ASEAN-Japanrelations for 2018-2021, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for2020-2021 and the ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam is bringing into play its roleto further promote the cooperation between ASEAN and the Mekong region andJapan, including the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperation, and coordinateclosely with Japan at international and regional forums.

We hope that Japanwill consider Vietnam a priority partner in the “Partnership for QualityInfrastructure” programme and the “Japan-Mekong Connectivity Initiative”.

In the coming time, with efforts, unanimity andrighteous policies of both sides, I believe that the “extensive strategicpartnership for peace and prosperity in Asia” between Vietnam and Japan willenter a new good stage of development.

This is a good chance for Japanesebusinesses to apprehend and expand cooperation and investment in Vietnam,especially in manufacturing, energy, information technology, smart city,services, infrastructure, modern agriculture, finance, banking and equitisationof State-owned enterprises …, effectively helping Vietnam to deal with itsgreat demand for developing modern and synchronous infrastructure and energysystems, and an advanced educational system…, thereby building it into a modernindustrialised country.

The cooperation and friendship between Vietnamand Japan are having new and promising development opportunities. I’m convincedthat the bond between the two nations will be increasingly tightened anddeepened for the sake of the two peoples, actively contributing to peace,stability, cooperation and development in the regions and the world.

Would you elaborateon the current East Sea issue, and measures adopted by Vietnam to maintainpeace and stability in the East Sea? Would you mind sharing Vietnam’sexpectations about Japan’s role in the settlement of the East Sea and regionalsecurity issues?

Vietnam will continue joining hands with the internationalcommunity, including Japan, to promote maritime cooperation by various means inline with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention onthe Law of the Sea, towards ensuring security, maritime and overflight safetyand freedom, search and rescue, crime prevention at sea, marine scienceresearch, and marine environment protection.

Vietnam will, together with countries concerned, continuetalks, carry out delineation, satisfactorily tackle arising issues, wellcontrol disagreements, and not to further complicate situation in the East Sea.

The country will also work with relevant parties to seriously and fullyimplement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soonfinalise a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line withinternational law.

Vietnam highly values Japan’s role and contributions tomaintaining peace, stability, maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, and believes that as a powerful country in the region and the worldand with interests in goods circulation via the East Sea, Japan will continue demonstratingits role in safeguarding security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom,making more active contributions to peace, security, safety and prosperity inthe region and the world.

As the country coordinator of ASEAN – Japan ties from August2018 – August 2021, Vietnam wants to enhance joint work with Japan at regionaland international forums, especially within the framework of ASEAN – Japancooperation.

On bilateral terms, Vietnam suggests Japan continue launchingprojects and a programme on improving the capacity of legal enforcement at sea,and assisting the country in the effective implementation of the marine-basedeconomy development strategy till 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Japan has approved apolicy on opening its door to foreign workers in order to tackle ageing populationand expects Vietnam would cooperate in the field. Would you tell about policiesVietnam will take to respond to Japan’s needs? Would you give some comments onissues that are needed to be improved in Japan’s labourer import policy?

The Vietnamese community in Japan exceeds 300,000, being thethird largest community of foreign residents there, mostly students andinterns.

They are the important human resources of Vietnam and an important “bridge”for cooperation between Vietnam and Japan and have actively contributed to thetwo countries’ socio-economic development.

The rapid growth of the Vietnamesecommunity in Japan is a vivid reflection of the extensive relations of the twocountries and an important foundation for deepening bilateral trust and mutualunderstanding, thus boosting friendship and cooperation in a sustainablemanner.

Vietnam welcomes Japan’s establishment of a new status of residence,called ‘specified skilled workers’, to receive more foreign labourers,including those from Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Government is always keen andwilling to prioritise collaboration with Japan in the field for mutualbenefits.

We want both sides to continue working closely together to propelcooperation in this potential area, particularly via increasing informationexchange and inspection of agencies providing and receiving guest workers of bothsides, ensuring legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese workers in Japan,and strictly punishing violators of related regulations.

We hope the JapaneseGovernment continues supporting and creating favourable conditions forVietnamese workers to quickly integrate into the local living and working environment.-VNA

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