During a reception in Hanoi on September 14 for the minister, the PM lauded Japan as the fourth largest trade partner and the largest supplier of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam. 

He hailed the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (MITE) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade for promptly realising important terms in the joint statement and effectively upholding the efficiency of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Committee on Industrial, Trade and Energy Cooperation mechanism. 

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcoming Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hirosighe Seko 
The MITE was also praised for assisting Vietnam in food processing and improving the competitiveness of agro-fishery export. 

The host asked Japan to facilitate the licensing of Vietnamese fruits export to the country, firstly litchi and longans as mentioned in the joint statement, as well as help Vietnam carry out an action plan on priority industries in its industrialisation strategy within the Vietnam-Japan cooperation framework towards 2020 with a vision to 2030. 

Both countries should bolster energy collaboration, including building high-capacity coal-fired thermal power plants and smart grids in Vietnam, he suggested. 

The Minister, for his part, said Japan is willing to share experience with Vietnam in State enterprise reform, adding that the country also supports the proposal on loosening requirements for Vietnamese fruits import and the two nations are processing relevant procedures. 

He also pledged to offer a support package to Vietnam in the process of executing the industrialisation strategy. 

The two nations will establish a working group to step up energy cooperation such as coal-fired thermal or renewable energy. 

The minister also asked the Vietnamese government and the PM to support Japan’s underway projects in Vietnam.

Source: VNA