Tokyo (VNA) - Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong delivereda policy speech at the National Diet of Japan on November 29 as part of hisongoing official visit to the East Asian country.

The leader conveyed a message to Japanese leaders,parliamentarians and people about an innovative, open, peace-loving Vietnamthat aspires for development, and the country’s foreign policy of independence,self-reliance, and diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and beinga friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the internationalcommunity.

He reviewed the past 50 years of the friendship andcooperation between Vietnam and Japan, and highlighted major visions and orientationsto effectively implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace andProsperity in Asia and the World.

Vietnam is resolved to work together with Japan tobuild the relations of sincere friends and reliable partners, strategiccooperation and sustainable future, he affirmed.

In his remarks, Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives Nukaga Fukushiro called President Thuong's delivering thespeech before the National Diet a hallmark in the bilateral relations, andemphasised that Vietnam is an important and irreplaceable partner of Japan, andthat the Japan-Vietnam relationship is at its best ever.

The President’s Japan visit was taking place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations and the elevation of therelationship to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace andProsperity in Asia and the World. This was a new historical milestone, helping enhancethe relationship with infinite potential, looking towards the future, reachingthe regional and world levels, he said.     

President of the House of Councillors of Japan OtsujiHidehisa noted that Vietnam and Japan share many similarities in history andculture, and expressed his hope that the two countries will continue on a newjourney together with the new framework, and reap new achievements.

Earlier, President Thuong had meetings with Nukaga Fukushiro and Otsuji Hidehisa,during which the Vietnamese leader held that the elevation of the bilateral relations to the ComprehensiveStrategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World clearlyreflected the strong, comprehensive and substantive development of the Vietnam -Japan relationship.

He spoke highly of the Japanese legislature’s supportfor strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, andemphasised the importance of Otsuji Hidehisa's visit to Vietnam in September.

Vietnam always considers Japan an important andlong-term partner, and wishes to forge the relations more comprehensively and intensively,for the sake of their people, and for peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment in the region, the leader said.   
For his part, Nukaga Fukushiro rejoiced at the outstanding and practical development of the Vietnam-Japan relations over the past time, andaffirmed that the Japanese legislature will play a more active role incooperation within the new relationship framework.

Meanwhile, Otsuji Hidehisa said he was impressed by Vietnam’s positivedevelopment during his trip to the Southeast Asian country in September, and expressedhis hope to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership in all fields, and enhanceexchanges and close cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodiesin the coming time.

On this occasion, President Thuong and his encourage visited theNational Diet Library – one of the biggest in the world. Later on the day, they left Tokyo for Fukuoka as partof the official visit./.