Japan’s Suga Seeks to Strengthen Ties with Vietnam

Jiji Press

17:16 JST, January 9, 2023

Hanoi (Jiji Press)—Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday that Japan is willing to further strengthen relations with Vietnam as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

There have been increased visits to each other’s countries by Japanese and Vietnamese leaders, Suga said in a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi, citing a visit to Vietnam by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and a trip to Japan by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc last year.

Japan wants to strengthen ties with Vietnam to elevate their wide-ranging strategic partnership to a higher level in the 50th anniversary, Suga said.

Chinh expressed gratitude for Japan’s supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses. Relations between Japan and Vietnam have been becoming stronger in every field, he said, adding that Vietnam wants to deepen exchanges with Japan at grass-roots, political party and parliamentary levels this year.