Japan-Viet Nam Relations

On July 31, commencing at 7:25 p.m. (local time) for approximately 50 minutes, Mr.Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, during his visit to Thailand to attend the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held a Japan-Viet Nam foreign ministers’ working dinner with H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The overview of the meeting  is as follows.

1. At the beginning, Minister Kono stated that the two countries  held meaningful discussions regarding the bilateral relationship both at  the Japan-Viet Nam Cooperation Committee this May and the Japan-Viet Nam Summit Meeting this July. Minister Kono expressed his hope to continuously  coordinate and cooperate closely with Viet Nam which serve as the ASEAN country coordinator for Japan as well as  next year’s ASEAN Chair. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Minh expressed  his intention to continue to cooperate with Japan as the country coordinator, and expressed appreciation for Japan’s efforts t during the recent G20 Osaka Summit attended by Prime Minister Phuc.
2. With regard to the ASEAN-Japan Day events  in Viet Nam, Minister Kono expressed gratitude to Deputy Prime Minister Minh  that, with Viet Nam’s cooperation, both symposium and  music festival  were held successfully on a grand scale this June and on July 28, respectively.Both Ministers shared the view  that they would work together to make the Japan-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on August 1 a meaningful one as co-chairs of the meeting.
3. The Ministers exchanged views regarding regional issues, such as the South China Sea, North Korea including the abductions issue, and Myanmar, and shared the view  that they would coordinate at the upcoming series of ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meetings. Both leaders also shared the view on further strengthening the bilateral relationship.