Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in his first summit foray since taking office in September, has agreed with his Vietnamese counterpart to intensify their nations’ defence and security co-operation, including restarting business flights.
After his October 19 talks in Hanoi with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Japanese PM told a press briefing that flights between the two countries would resume soon. The Vietnamese PM said the two sides had also agreed “on applying preferential travel regulations” at an early time. The move aims to allow executives and skilled workers to travel without a 14-day quarantine period as long as they follow specific Covid-19 precautions.
The two premiers signed on the same day agreements on co-operation in wide range of areas including infrastructure, energy, environment and agricultural trade.
Tokyo is Hanoi’s leading economic partner, the largest official development assistance provider, second biggest investor, third largest tourism partner and fourth largest trade partner.
In the first nine months of this year, two-way trade revenue reached US$28.6 billion, Vietnam News Agency reports. As of September, Japan had run 4,595 valid FDI projects worth US$59.87 billion in Vietnam, ranking second among 136 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.
Suga’s three-day visit to Vietnam would offer an opportunity for Vietnam to prove its safety and effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic, while promoting the country’s achievements in reform and socio-economic development, the national news agency adds.
