Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh will leave Hanoi on April 19 for an official three-day visit to Japan at the invitation of Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Vietnam is one of Japan’s biggest ODA recipients

As an economic power, Japan is pursuing the goal of becoming a “normal nation,” whose role and position matches its economic potential, including a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. It continues to consider the US a strategic ally in competition with other big countries, while using economics as a lever to exert its influence on Southeast Asia.

Japan has signed an agreement on the establishment of a free trade area (FTA) with ASEAN and agreed to observe 2009 as Mekong-Japan Exchange Year.

Japan is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners, ranking first in providing official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, second in importing Vietnamese commodities and third in pouring direct investment into the Southeast Asian nation.

Japan highly values Vietnam’s role and position and voices its support for strengthening relations with the country. Relations between the two countries have developed well in recent times. During Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s visit to Japan in 2002, the two countries agreed to boost their relations of friendship and cooperation in the spirit of “long-term stability and mutual trust”.

During Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Japan in 2006, the two countries agreed to set a new course for building Vietnam-Japan relations “Toward a Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia”.

In 2007, State President Nguyen Minh Triet visited Japan, where the two countries’ leaders agreed on a “cooperation programme toward a strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan”.

In 2008, the two countries signed a Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA). In February 2009, Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito visited Vietnam. Most recently, Japan decided to resume providing ODA to Vietnam after both nations brought to light a graft scandal at the Pacific Consultants International (PCI) and showed determination to combat corruption.

Party leader Manh’s visit aims to enhance high-level dialogue between Vietnam and Japan, promote mutual understanding and friendship between their people and bring bilateral ties to new heights “Toward a Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia”. It will help boost bilateral cooperation in al fields, especially economics, trade, investment and ODA provision and speed up the implementation of the agreements signed between the two countries, including three key projects to build the North-South Express Railway Line, the North-South Highway and the Hoa Lac hi-tech park.

The visit is expected to strengthen relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Japan’s ruling party as well as other Japanese political parties. It will affirm the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership role in elevating Vietnam’s position in the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the world.

VietNamNet/VOV