PM: Vietnam gives top priority to relations with Japan

Tokyo, June 7 (VNA) – The Vietnamese Government and people always give top priority to cooperative relations with Japan and will do their best to elevate the ties to new heights for interests of the two countries’ people and for peace and prosperity in the region and in the world, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. PM Phuc made the statement during a meeting with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo on June 6. The PM and his spouse have been on an official visit to Japan where he also attended the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia. PM Phuc stressed the importance of the royal couple’s visit to Vietnam in March, saying that it marked a milestone in friendly and cooperative ties and facilitated the bilateral extensive strategic partnership in all fields, particularly in culture cooperation, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. He took this occasion to invite Japanese royal members to visit Vietnam in 2018 on the occasion of celebrations of the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. The Emperor and the Empress expressed their delight to meet PM Phuc and his spouse in Tokyo and thanked the Vietnamese leaders and people for their warm hospitability during their State visit to Vietnam Emperor Akihito said he expects the two nations to reinforce their relations and increase people-to-people exchanges, especially when Japan and Vietnam will mark 45 years of diplomatic ties next year./.