Japan and VietNam has expressed their concern in expansion and strengthening of bilateral relations as part of strategic alliances in favour of peace and prosperity in the Asian region.
In a joint statement following talks between the visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo, Vietnam PM welcomed the fact that Japan's ODA to Viet Nam had surpassed 100 billion yen in the Japanese fiscal year 2005, and hoped that co-operation between Japan and Viet Nam would be enhanced in the coming years. Abe also reaffirmed Japan's firm support for Viet Nam's socio-economic development by providing assistance in priority areas such as promotion of growth, improvement in living standards, and institutional building, utilising advanced Japanese technology and expertise. As per the agreement signed last August, the two prime ministers decided to promote co-operation in the field of science and technology, including information and communication technology (ICT), on the basis of the Viet Nam-Japan Agreement on Co-operation in Science and Technology signed. Abe expressed strong support for Viet Nam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and hoped it would accelerate Viet Nam's economic development. They resolved to jointly create favourable conditions for the business circles of both countries, to increase two-way trade from the 2005 level of US$8.5 billion to US$15 billion in 2010.
