Mr Manh made the statement in Tokyo on April 21 while receiving the Chairperson of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Executive Committee Kazuo Shii, the Komei Party Chief Representative Akihiro Ota, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Vice President Katsuya Okada, the New People’s Party President Tamisuke Watanuki and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) President Mizuho Fukushima.

He said that relations between Vietnam and Japan are developing well in politics, economics, culture and people’s diplomacy.  

Vietnam attaches great importance to developing its relationship with Japan, considering it one of its most important, he said.

The Vietnamese Party leader thanked Japan for providing its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and poverty reduction programmes. He welcomed Japan’s increased private investment in Vietnam and hoped that Japan would continue to speed up the pace of key projects in Vietnam such as the North-South highway, the North-South express railway line and the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park.

The Japanese party leaders spoke highly of Vietnam’s solutions for sustaining the macro economy amidst the global economic and financial crunch. They expressed their belief that Vietnam will overcome current difficulties and make greater achievements in national construction and development.

The JCP president and DPJ vice president supported the Japanese government in providing ODA to Vietnam and said they hope the country will use the capital effectively.

The same day, Mr Manh met with representatives of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary League, the Vietnam-Japan Special Friendship Ambassador and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In the afternoon, he flew to Fukuoka prefecture where he met with governor Wataru Aso.