Party leader begins 4-day visit to Japan

(20-04-2009)

General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and his delegation are welcomed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuan Tuan

HA NOI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nong Duc Manh arrived in Tokyo yesterday, starting his four-day visit to Japan with an aim to elevate bilateral ties.

Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasutoshi Nishimura and Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Mitsuo Sakaba were among those to welcome Manh at the Haneda Airport.

Manh’s second visit to Japan this time was made at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.

The visit will look to enhance Viet Nam-Japan high-level dialogue, consolidate the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and bring bilateral ties to a higher level under the framework "Strategic partnerships for peace and prosperity in Asia".

The visit will also promote co-operation in various fields, particularly economics, trade, investment and Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The two nations’ leaders will also discuss how to effectively carry out a partnership programme, and the signed agreements on the north-south high-speed railway, the north-south expressway and the Hoa Lac hi-tech zone.

Manh’s visit also expects to learn from Japan’s experiences and gather its support for Viet Nam’s industrialisation and modernisation.

Viet Nam-Japan trade turnover reached over US$15.5 billion last year, and Japan was the second biggest client for Viet Nam.

As of the end of last year, Japanese investments to Viet Nam amounted to $17 billion in over 1,000 projects. It ranked third among nations and territories to invest into Viet Nam.

Japan was also the biggest ODA donor to Viet Nam. ODA values reached $13 billion between 1992 and 2007, accounting for 30 per cent of all the ODA the international community pledged to Viet Nam.

Japan remained among five nations with the highest number of tourists to Viet Nam. Japanese tourists made up 10 per cent of foreign tourists to Viet Nam annually. Viet Nam welcomed nearly 400,000 Japanese tourists last year, up 130,000 from the previous year.

The two countries have also worked closely together in other fields, such as education and training and cultural and information exchange. — VNS

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