VN makes efforts in enhancing ASEAN-Japan Strategic Partnership

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung at the 33rd ASEAN-Japan Forum in Tokyo, Japan on June 13, 2018 - Photo: VNA

Speaking at the event, Mr. Dung hailed the role and contributions of Japan to the region, welcoming Japan’s commitments to supporting the central role of ASEAN, assisting in establishing the ASEAN Community, developing sub-region, enhancing connections, narrowing development gap and training human resources. 

He stressed the need to promote close coordination in realizing decisions made by the high-ranking leaders and actively launching the Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation through concrete and practical projects.

Regarding international and regional issues, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister highly appraised the recent progress in the Korean Peninsula, including the inter-Korean summits and the U.S.-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit, affirming Viet Nam’s support for peace, stability and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He shared viewpoints on the worrying developments in the East Sea, stressing that the relevant sides must exercise self-restraint, comply with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, not launch unilateral actions that complicate the situation or run counter to international law, thus ensuring a favorable environment for peace and stability in the East Sea and the negotiation process of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Viet Nam will work as a coordinator of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations from August 2018 to August 2021, he added, affirming that the country will work closely with Japan and other ASEAN countries to bring their strategic partnership to a new height for the sake of the two sides as well as peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

The annual deputy ministerial forum, part of the ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations, is aimed at reviewing bilateral cooperation and discussing measures for enhancing their strategic partnership.

The ASEAN countries and Japan shared positive outcomes in their strategic partnership and cooperation through the implementation of the 2017 Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japans Friendship and Cooperation.

Japan is currently the fourth biggest trade partner and the second largest FDI investor of ASEAN.

By Thuy Dung