Dentsu japan

Vietnam is one among beneficiaries in Japan’s global support of logistics for the fight against Covid-19.

Japan has pledged to support Covid-19 vaccine facilities to Vietnam, including the preparation for cold storage equipment.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and State President Nguyen Phu Trong in a phone talk on March 22. Photo: NHK

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide made the commitment in telephone talks with Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on March 22.

The telephone talks between Suga and Trong were held at the request of the Vietnamese side, following Trong’s re-election as the CPV’s Secretary General, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

During the talks, the Vietnamese leader expressed appreciation for the Japanese offer of vaccination support. He affirmed that Vietnam consistently considers Japan the leading strategic partner.

The two leaders agreed to continue cooperating toward 2023, which marks the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

Earlier this month, Japan announced it will provide US$41 million to Vietnam and 24 other countries to set up ultra-cold storage chains and medical equipment to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The grant, which would be provided through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the global vaccine sharing mechanism – COVAX Facility, is aimed at delivering vaccines to each and every person in all corners of developing countries.

Five Mekong countries and Japan should continue to boost trade and investment cooperation to ensure long-term development, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said.

The strategic partnership between Mekong states and Japan remains essential for not only socio-economic development of each member country, but also for peace, stability and prosperity of the region, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Mekong – Japan Summit. Photo: Quang Hieu.

The urgent priority of the partnership at present is to continue containing the Covid-19 pandemic and boosting economic recovery, stated Mr. Phuc at the 12 ^th Mekong – Japan Summit, which was held online on November 13 between Japan and five Mekong countries namely Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

At the meeting, leaders of the Mekong countries acknowledged progress in the implementation of the Tokyo Strategy 2018 for Mekong – Japan Cooperation, Mekong Industrial Development Vision 2.0, Mekong – Japan Initiative for Sustainable Development Goals toward 2030, and the Kusanone Mekong Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, among others.

The Mekong countries also welcomed a proposal from Japan’s Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on the Investment Partnership Initiative for Mekong sustainable development, as well as cooperation in expanding regional supply chains, among others.

Overview of the online Summit. Photo: Quang Hieu.

Amid severe impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters and geopolitical tensions, leaders at the summit expressed their commitment to continuing fighting the pandemic and rebuilding economies.

Leaders from six countries also stressed the importance of boosting cooperation and economic development along with environmental protection. In this regard, it is essential for countries to ensure the sustainable development of the Mekong river basin and enhance the region’s resilience against climate change.

To further Mekong – Japan cooperation, Mr. Phuc suggested the six countries should continue promoting trade and investment based on their complementary nature and competitive advantages of each other; enhance medical cooperation via information sharing and anti-Covid-19 measures, including the development of vaccines and equal vaccine distribution; and ensure sustainable development of the Mekong river basin and capabilities in tackling climate change.

The leaders agreed on a joint-statement of the 12 ^th Mekong – Japan Summit and plan for Japan to host the 13 ^th Summit in 2021.

The Japanese business community has high expectation that Vietnam would manufacture high-added value products.

Vietnam’s National Innovation Center (NIC) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on October 19 signed a memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation in innovation.

NIC’s Vice Director Vu Quoc Huy (R) and JETRO’s Chief Representative in Hanoi Takeo Nakajima (L). Source: MPI.

The signing ceremony took place during the first state visit of Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to Vietnam on October 18 – 20.

Chief Representative of JETRO in Hanoi Takeo Nakajima said the Japanese business community has high expectations that Vietnam would manufacture high-added value products, which could be achieved via greater efforts in improving the country’s internal strength and speeding up the digital transformation process.

Under the agreement, Japanese investors would have more opportunities to partner with innovative companies in Vietnam, a key step that would support innovation cooperation between not only the two countries, but also in two business communities.

Specifically, both the NIC and JETRO would help facilitate partnership among Vietnamese, Japanese enterprises and investors in the field of innovation, as well as supporting the development of new business models based on the advantages of each country.

Vice Director of the NIC Vu Quoc Huy said Vietnam is in the process of establishing a network of innovation with the participation of experts in advanced countries, including Japan, Australia, Germany, and the US, among others.

In Japan, Vietnam has already formed the Vietnam – Japan Open Innovation Network (VJOIN) with thousands of members, which is a part of a broader Vietnam Innovation Network, he added.

The main objective of the network is to cooperate with the global community in creating new products, technologies, business and corporate governance model for the development of Vietnam, said Mr. Huy.