Tokyo (VNA)💞 – Vietnam has made tremendous overall progress over the past 50 years, said Kazuo Shii, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP).

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondents in Tokyo ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to Vietnam from April 27-29, the Japanese politician said that the path Vietnam has taken to engage with the outside world is the one of self-reliance, independence, and multilateral diplomacy. Vietnam remains steadfast in its independence and sovereignty. In its relations with other powers, Vietnam does not side with any nation. The country consistently pursues a policy of building friendly relations in all areas and is ready to become a friend with all countries. The JCP leader shared the same view on Vietnam's foreign policy of independence and multilateral diplomacy. Since 1986, Vietnam has developed along a new path, known as Doi Moi (Renewal) policy. The JCP believes that the path of socialist-oriented market economic development is a reasonable and feasible choice. Shii noted that thanks to this policy, Vietnam has achieved significant results, such as a sharp reduction in poverty, impressive economic growth and improvements in people’s living standards. This process has progressed significantly, and it can be said that Vietnam's position in the world has improved markedly, the Japanese politician said. He held that the foreign policy of complete self-reliance and independence, multilateral diplomacy, and the internal policy of innovation have been the driving forces behind Vietnam's development over the past 50 years. The politician noted that he first visited Vietnam in 2007 after becoming the JCP Chairman. He met with then Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, and both sides agreed to further enhance the relationship between the two parties. In his first meeting with Manh, the two sides decided to organise a theoretical exchange activity. Holding this theoretical exchange over a long period has greatly contributed to mutual understanding and learning about theoretical and practical issues, Shii said, adding that he hoped this activity will be maintained. Later, Shii made three more visits to Vietnam in 2013, 2017, and 2023, during which, he held meetings with then Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. In the past 20 years, the communist parties of Japan and Vietnam have developed strong relations and cooperation on many international issues, particularly in creating the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic bombings during wartime, while Vietnam has faced horrific damage from Agent Orange, with ongoing consequences. Shii shared that during his recent visit to Vietnam, he visited a centre providing support to victims of Agent Orange. As both nations had endured weapons of mass destruction, the two countries are cooperating to create a world free of nuclear weapons. He expressed his appreciation for the cooperation between the two sides over the years. Regarding peacebuilding in East Asia, Shii assessed that Vietnam plays an important role in ASEAN. Japan has repeatedly affirmed and promoted cooperation in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) in recent years, he noted./.