Tokyo (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister TruongHoa Binh met with Chuichi Date, Speakerof the House of Councillors of the Japanese National Diet, in Tokyo onJune 12 as part of his visit to Japan to attend the 24th International Conference on the Future of Asia.

At the meeting, the officialsuggested the House of Councillors continue the exchange of all-leveldelegations and expand pragmatic cooperation with the Vietnamese legislature,while sharing experience in building and perfecting the legal system, andjudicial reform.

Binh urged the agency to supportstronger economic-trade ties between Vietnam and Japan, and the JapaneseGovernment’s continued official development assistance (ODA) provision forVietnam, especially for projects on high-quality personnel training, keyinfrastructure development and climate change response.

The official called for enhancedcoordination between the two countries’ legislative bodies at regional andinternational inter-parliamentary forums.

For his part, Chuichi Date laudedachievements Vietnam has recorded in socio-economic development and externalaffairs over the past time.

Noting withpleasure progresses made in the bilateral legislative ties, the host emphasisedthe importance he has attached to enhancing cooperation with Vietnam acrossfields.

He also showedhis support for the Japanese Government to continue cooperation with andassistance to Vietnam in socio-economic development.

Chuichi Date saidhe hopes that the two sides will beef up cultural cooperation andpeople-to-people exchange in 2018 when Vietnam and Japan marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and on the occasion of Japan’s hosting of 2020Summer Olympics.

The same day,Binh had a meeting with Japanese Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa, during whichthe Vietnamese official highly valued the effective cooperation of the Governmentand the Justice Ministry of Japan in developing the legal system and personneltraining.

He asked theministry to reinforce affiliation with the Vietnamese side in judicialassistance in civil, criminal and commercial affairs.

The officialproposed the early negotiation and signing of an agreement on civil judicialassistance, experience exchange and technical support between the two sides. Healso urged the Japanese ministry to help improve capacity for Vietnameseofficials in joining and implementing conventions of The Hague Conference.

In reply, Minister Yoko Kamikawa expressedher delight at the development of cooperation between the two countries ingeneral and the two justice ministries in particular.
She called on thetwo ministries to soon sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation.

Yoko Kamikawasaid her ministry is ready to closely coordinate with Vietnam at internationallegal forums and conferences to which Japan is a member, including The HagueConvention.

She called forVietnam’s coordination at the 14th United Nations Congresson Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice slated for 2020 in Tokyo,saying Japan is willing to help Vietnam perfect its legal system and trainpersonnel in the sector.

Meeting with leaders of AEON andWiller Groups, Deputy PM Binh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government hasactively improved the domestic investment environment and created favourableconditions for Japanese investors in the country.

He urged the two groups to expandtheir investment in Vietnam and intensify their cooperation in retail, goodsdistribution and export, and public transportation, helping improve localpeople’s living standards.

Leaders of the two groups promisedto continue their long-term operation in Vietnam.

During his stay in Japan, Binh alsoheld talks with Indonesia’s Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, during whichthe two sides agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in economy and trade,striving to soon reach the target of raising two-way trade to 10 billion USD.

They consented to sign deals oncooperation in trade, agriculture-fishery, national defence, security and crimecombat, and soon build a close and effective coordination mechanism inprotecting fishermen and fishing boats, and fighting crimes at sea.

The two officials discussed measures to maintain peace, stability and securityin the region, intensify the solidarity, unity and central role of ASEAN instrategic matters, including the East Sea issue-VNA