Hanoi (VNA) –Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh held talks with Japanese Ministerof Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Hiroshige Seko in Hanoi on September 14, discussingmeasures to foster bilateral cooperation in the fields of industry, trade andenergy.

The talks was also a chancefor the two ministries to review the implementation of cooperation programmesreached at the second meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Committee on Industry,Trade and Energy held in Tokyo in June 2017.

Minister Anh lauded thefirst meeting of the joint working group on automobile and supporting industryin line with the joint statement of the two governments issued during PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Japan in June.

The two ministersdeliberated solutions to effectively implement development strategies for theautomobile and supporting industries. Anh proposed a number of cooperationcontents with Japan in the future to realise Vietnam’s national industrializationand modernization targets.

Anh suggested that the METIwork closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to boost bilateraltrade in an efficient manner, while building multilateral cooperationmechanisms involving ministries and sectors of both countries to deal with emergingissues hindering two-way trade.

The two ministers stressedthe need to enhance mutual support and assistance in joining the process of regionaland global economic integration.

Regarding energy cooperation,the two ministers shared common perspectives on the importance of Vietnam-Japanenergy cooperation in the middle and long terms.

Anh spoke highly of Seko’sproposal at the second meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Committee onIndustry, Trade and Energy on building strategic energy collaboration betweenthe two ministries to define cooperation priorities.

Anh suggested Japan increaseinvestments in gas-fueled and renewable energy projects in Vietnam.

For his part, Seko agreedwith Anh’s proposals, affirming that Japan is willing to work with Vietnam inthe framework of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP).

On the occasion, the twoministers signed a letter of intent on cooperation in supporting Vietnam in anumber of areas, including supporting and automobile industries, energy, foodprocessing, and regional and global economic integration.

Statistics from the MoIT’s Asia-AfricaMarket Department show that in 2016, two-way trade reached 29.6 billion USD, makingJapan the fourth biggest trade partner and the third largest import-exportmarket of Vietnam.

By early September 2017,trade between the two countries hit 21.4 billion USD, up 12.3 percent year onyear, with Vietnam’s export turnover reaching 11 billion USD.

Vietnam mainly exportedapparel, machines, equipment, seafood, footwear, computers and electronicproducts and components to Japan, while importing computers, electronicproducts and components, automobile spare parts, plastics and fabric.-VNA