Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh left Hanoi on November 22 afternoon for an official visit to Japan. Photo: VGP

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Nov. 22 evening (local time), starting his official visit to Japan at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio, reported VNA the same day.

The PM is accompanied by Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Prosecutor General Le Minh Tri, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, and Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

The visit takes place when the Vietnam-Japan bilateral relations are currently at the best stage in history since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Through the visit, Vietnam affirms its willingness to work with Japan to open up a more substantive and effective development stage in all fields, especially in economics, defence security, people-to-people diplomacy.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister will be the first foreign leader to meet directly with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio since the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won the election for the House of Representatives on Oct. 31.

PM Chinh and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Miyake Shingo, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam, among others.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is welcomed at Haneda airport in Tokyo. Photo: VGP

During his Japan visit from Nov. 22-25, PM Chinh will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio and meet high-ranking leaders of Japan.

PM Chinh will also meet representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan to inform them about the implementation of Politburo's Conclusion No. 12-KL/TW on overseas Vietnamese-related affairs and call on them to provide more support for the homeland's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, thus upholding the great national solidarity bloc and the strength of the whole nation.

In addition, the Government leader of Vietnam will join working sessions with leaders of Japan’s major economic organisations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and conglomerates in the fields of green energy, transport infrastructure and health care, among others.

The PM is set to participate in the Vietnam-Japan business forum in Tokyo and a trade promotion event linking localities of the two countries in Tochigi, during which he will inform Japanese firms about investment incentives and potential of the Vietnamese market.

He will meet with the Vietnamese community in Japan to affirm the consistent policy of the Party and State on consolidating the great national solidarity and upholding the strength of the whole nation.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam believed that the Japan visit by the PM will be a success, creating momentum for the Vietnam-Japan ties and becoming a hallmark in the bilateral relations.

Sharing his opinions, former General Secretary of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association Ryokichi Motoyoshi, who is currently a legal consultant for Vietnamese people in Japan, said that Chinh is quite familiar with Japanese politicians and parliamentarians when he used to assume the role as Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group.

Last year, Yoshihide Suga, the predecessor of the current PM Fumio Kishida, chose Vietnam as the first destination for his foreign visit after taking office. This time, PM Chinh is the first foreign leader to visit Japan after PM Kishida took office. This clearly reflects the good and increasingly close friendship between Vietnam and Japan, stressed Motoyoshi.

In addition, Chinh's visit comes after Japan has just eased pandemic prevention measures and is gradually resuming socio-economic activities.

Therefore, Motoyoshi expressed his belief that cooperation opportunities between the two countries will be further expanded in the fields of economy, trade and human resources.

PM Chinh's visit will contribute to comprehensively and extensively promoting relations between the two countries, PathetLao Daily, a publication of the Laos News Agency (KPL), reported on Nov. 22.

In an article published on the same day, Pasaxon newspaper, the official organ of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), said relations between the two countries are enjoying comprehensive and substantial development in various fields.

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