Japan lauds Vietnam’s role in Mekong-Japan cooperation: Ambassador

• PM Phuc to attend 10th Mekong-Japan Summit, visit Japan
• Powerful typhoon bears down on flood-battered Japan
• Japanese rovers send back first video from asteroid 280 million km away

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong

In his interview granted to Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Japan and his participation of the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting in Japan from October 8-10, Ambassador Cuong highlighted Vietnam’s positive contributions to the mechanism with various activities like the Green Mekong Forum, and cooperative programmes in environment, clean water, disaster prevention, among others.

Vietnam is drawing up a plan for the cooperative activities in 2019-2021 period, he said.

Bolstering the mechanism development is in line with the benefits of both Vietnam and the whole region. Vietnamese ministries and sectors have involved in some 100 projects carried out in the framework of the mechanism. Among them, Lach Huyen deep-water port, Noi Bai International Airport’s terminal 2, O Mon thermal power plant, and Nghi Son 2 thermal power plant are important projects to Vietnam’s infrastructure system.

Thanks to the mechanism, Vietnam has already built and operated an electric customs clearance system and produced measles-rubella vaccine, he added.

Besides, the country has put forth projects to connect the sub-Mekong region and integrate the Mekong water resources management into the cooperation mechanism.

On the development of the Mekong-Japan cooperation mechanism, Ambassador Cuong said that it has attained significant achievements in the past 10 years across the prioritised sectors of soft and hard infrastructure cooperation, and sustainable development. 

Member countries have worked together to build comprehensive transport system that helps link the sub-Mekong region through connecting the East-West Economic Corridor to the South Economic Corridor. Also, their cooperation facilitates customs clearance and human resources training. 

Attaching much importance to the mechanism, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe committed 7 billion USD for the Mekong-Japan cooperation mechanism under the Tokyo Strategy 2015 for the 2016-2018 tenure.

On bilateral activities of PM Phuc, Ambassador Cuong said that the leader will have bilateral meetings with Japanese high-ranking officials to develop the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership into a more effective and practical manner.

PM Phuc and his Japanese counterpart are scheduled to hold talks on bilateral and international cooperation. Besides, the Vietnamese Government leader will have several meetings with Japanese officials to further all-round collaboration. 

An investment forum will be held in the East Asian country, with 1,000 representatives of businesses expected to attend. The event shows Vietnam’s respect for the extensive strategic partnership with Japan, particularly in economy, trade and investment.