Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has highlighted ASEAN commitments to strengthen and promote comprehensive cooperation with Japan, stressing that Vietnam will do its utmost to improve the ASEAN-Japan strategic partnership.As the leader of the coordinator country, PM Phuc made the statement in his keynote address on ASEAN-Japan relations while attending the 21st ASEAN - Japan Summit and the celebration of the 45 years of ties between ASEAN and Japan in Singapore on November 14 within the framework of the 33rd ASEAN Summit.
Leaders attended the 21st ASEAN-Japan Summit in Singapore. Photo: Quang Hieu
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He also appreciated ASEAN's support for Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) in health care, environment, natural disaster control, climate change, science-technology and innovation, as well as in connection through the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and ASEAN Plan of Action on narrowing development gap, and Mekong-Subregion development.
The PM emphasized ASEAN's strong commitment in promoting and elevating the strategic partnership and comprehensive cooperation between the grouping and Japan for peace, stability and prosperity of each side as well as the whole region.
Backing PM Phuc’s opinions, other ASEAN leaders agreed to further promote the sound cooperation between the two sides which has developed over the past 45 years and welcomed Japan to continue performing its active and responsible role in the region, while coordinating with ASEAN at forums chaired by the grouping, and contributing to promoting dialogues, building trust and strengthening cooperation on the basis of common benefit and respect.
On the Japanese side, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe affirmed the importance of ASEAN's role, agreed to foster comprehensive collaboration with ASEAN and support the association’s central role as well as efforts in enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity.
PM Abe announced plan to hold the ASEAN-Japan Day in Vietnam in 2019 to promote mutual understanding between the two sides.
He also announced many important cooperative initiatives such as supporting fund by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) on regional infrastructure development, highly qualifified human resource training (about 80,000 people in five years), exploiting opportunities from the Industrial Revolution 4.0, preventing ocean plastic waste, responding to natural disasters and climate change, and providing health care services for the public.
PM Abe emphasized that ASEAN and Japan should work harder to reinforce opening, equal and law-based multilateral trading system.
The Japanese PM praised a number of ASEAN countries, including Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, for ratifying of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), expressing his hope for the soon finalization of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
Regarding international and regional issues, PM Abe reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security, freedom and safety of navigation and aviation in the South China Sea, which is referred to as East Sea in Vietnam, respecting diplomatic and legal processes, and upholding principles of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, while stressing efforts to build an effective and substantive COC.
PM Phuc backed the Japanese PM’s ideas, highlighting the ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue and hope that Japan will continue supporting ASEAN’s efforts in strengthening dialogue and trust, creating a favorable environment for COC negotiations.
Phuc also praised Japan’s initiatives to promote connectivity between the rims of Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, pledging that Vietnam will do its utmost to improve the ASEAN-Japan partnership for peace, stability and prosperity of the two sides as well as the region.
He stated Vietnam welcomes PM Abe's initiative of holding the ASEAN-Japan Day, adding that the country is ready to work with Japan for hosting the event successfully.
Concluding the summit, ASEAN-Japan leaders agreed to endorse the 45th anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation.
