Hanoi(VNA) – Similarities in culture, historical linkage, and the friendlysentiments that people of Vietnam and Japan give each other as well as manyshared interests have closely connected the two nations, stated Deputy PrimeMinister Tran Luu Quang at a ceremony held by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnamon February 23 to celebrate the 63rd birthday of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

Extending greetings tothe Emperor, the Empress, the Royal Family as well as the Governmentand people of Japan, Quang underlined that the relations between Vietnam andJapan were initiated in the eighth century when “PhatTriet” (Buttetsu) who came from Champa, an ancient kingdom that extended acrossthe coast of what is today central Vietnam, introduced Rinyu-gaku – a compositeritual art comprising orchestral music and dance – to Japan. 

Japanese merchant boats came to Hoi An in the 16th century, contributing to the formation of the bustling trading area in Vietnam and leading to theromantic love story between Japanese trader Araki Sorato and VietnamesePrincess Ngoc Hoa, he said.

The Deputy PM noted thatJapan is one of the first countries to set up diplomatic relations withVietnam. The bilateral ties have grown fast and strongly across all fields,especially as the two sides established their extensive strategic partnershipfor peace and prosperity in Asia in 2014, he said.

He emphasised thatJapan has always been one of the leading strategic partners of Vietnam, withregular exchanges of delegations at high and all levels. The two countriesprovided practical and helpful support to each other during the COVID-19 pandemic,he said, adding that Japan is the largest ODA provider of Vietnam and thesecond biggest partner in labour, third in investment and tourism, and fourthin trade.

Local cooperation is abright spot in the bilateral ties with more than 70 pairs of localities sharingcooperation agreements. Currently, the nearly 500,000-strong Vietnamese communityin Japan has become the second largest foreign one in the country, henoted.

Deputy PM Quang saidthat Vietnam and Japan have coordinated closely at multilateral forums andmechanisms at regional and global levels such as the UN and Mekong Sub-Region, whileworking closely in economy and trade facilitation through the implementation ofthe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The Vietnam-Japanrelationship is in prime time with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year, he said, expressing hisbelief that the bilateral extensive strategic partnership will enter a newdevelopment period with more comprehensive, effective and sustainablepartnership, meeting the aspirations and interest of the people of both sides andcontributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Japanese Ambassador Yamada Takio said that the Japan-Vietnam relationship is in its peak in the history. Despite changes in the region and the world, the twosides have still considered each other as important strategic partner andexpanding their ties to all fields.

The diplomat affirmedthat Japan hopes to work with Vietnam in promoting activities for peace andprosperity in the region, underlining that Vietnam is one of the importantpartners in the implementation of Japan’s free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.

Expressing his hope thatJapanese firms will increase investment in Vietnam and launch new projects, thediplomat said that this will create a positive circulation for each country’seconomy.

In 2023, along withinvestment and trade, Japan aims to beef up bilateral ties in the fields ofinfrastructure, ODA, digital transformation, green transition,industrialisation and modernisation, and human resources development to createmomentum for the growth of the ties, he said./.