Vietnam, Japan close 6 deals during Party chief Trong’s visit Visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on September 15, 2015. Vietnam News Agency Vietnam and Japan on Tuesday discussed measures to foster their bilateral relations and signed six cooperation agreements during the visit to Tokyo by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong. The two sides had the discussions and inched the deals during talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and General Secretary Trong, who arrived in Japan the same day for a four-day visit, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The Vietnamese official told PM Abe that Vietnam always regards Japan as its leading and long-term partner while the host said his country treasures the Southeast Asian nation’s posture in its foreign policy for the Asia-Pacific region. PM Abe praised General Secretary Trong’s visit, saying that it will help open up a new opportunity to strengthen and deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries. The host and guest asserted their determination to promote their comprehensive relationship for the interests of their people, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Japan will continue supporting Vietnam in achieving sustainable economic development, including the provision of further official development assistance of about 100 billion yen (US$831 million) for transport infrastructure, including ports and the north-south expressway, PM Abe said. The Japanese government wishes to cooperate with Vietnam in infrastructural development projects, including the one for the Long Thanh international airport in the southern province of Dong Nai; in energy projects, including the building of the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear plant in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan; and in developing specialized industrial parks in Hai Phong City in the northern region and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in the southern part, the premier said. The two sides agreed to open the Vietnamese market for Japanese apples and grant access to the Japanese market to Vietnamese mangos as of September 17.     In terms of the travel of citizens of both countries, PM Abe said Japan has decided to prolong commercial visa duration for Vietnamese to 10 years. The Japanese prime minister and General Secretary Trong also talked over regional and international issues of mutual concern. They shared viewpoints on recent complicated developments in the East Vietnam Sea, especially the reclamation and construction activities on islands and reefs. The two sides emphasized the need of strict compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea, and of the early signing of a Code of Conduct for the sea. Their talks wrapped up with the issue of a statement on a joint vision for the Vietnam-Japan relations. The two officials then witnessed the signing of six cooperation agreements, including a medium- and long-term vision for agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, a diplomatic note on providing more than 28.6 billion yen ($237.7 million) in official development assistance for Vietnam, and another one supplying 200 billion yen ($1.66 billion) in non-refundable aid to Vietnam for maritime safety in fiscal 2015. Other signed documents include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing a partnership to combat transnational crime and develop joint cooperation between the Vietnam Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard, an MoU on the United Nations peacekeeping mission carried out by Vietnam and Japan’s defense ministries, and another memo on workforce development in mechanical engineering between the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training. The Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank of Japan and Vietjet Air also inked an MoU on financing the purchase of three Airbus planes. TUOI TRE NEWS