Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage arrived back in Hanoi on December 19 morning, wrapping up their working trip to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities from December 15-18 at the invitation of Japanese PM Kishida Fumio.

During the trip, PM Chinh had a busy schedule, with over 40 multilateral and bilateral activities. Apart from attending the Commemorative Summit and the Asian Net Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders' Meeting, he engaged in meetings and discussions with leaders of participating countries, including those of Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

As for bilateral activities with Japan, the Vietnamese leader held talks with his Japanese counterpart; met the Emperor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the House of Councilors and former Japanese PMs; visited the family of late PM Shinzo Abe; and hosted receptions for leaders of Japanese ministries, prefectures, political organisations, and economic associations.

On the occasion, he paid a working trip to Gunma prefecture, presided over economic and labour cooperation promotion forums, received and held a dialogue with leading Japanese economic corporations.

Notably, a total of 33 cooperation agreements were signed by the two countries’ Governments, ministries, agencies, localities and businesses in the fields of finance, industrial infrastructure, urban planning, commercial centre development, green hydrogen, battery manufacturing, energy, digital transformation, and workforce training.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (L) and his Japanese counteprart Kishida Fumio (Photo: VNA)

His working trip to Japan has further underscored Vietnam's role, responsibility, and contributions to building a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN community, and deepening the ASEAN-Japan relationship in a practical and effective manner, for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

It is also meant to concretise and strongly advance the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, thereby generating impetus for the continued development of bilateral relations in the coming period./.