Vietnam border, seas, islands

Da Nang, January 12 (VNA) – Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh on January 11 received visiting Secretary General of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party Nikai Toshihiro.

At the Da Nang reception, Chinh, who is also head of the Vietnam – Japan parliamentarians’ friendship group, described the visit by the Japanese official as an important event in bilateral relations, in which Vietnam always takes Japan as a long-term and trustable partner of the top importance.

Affirming that the Vietnamese National Assembly stands ready to closely cooperate with the Japanese Congress, Chinh said he hoped the parliamentarian diplomatic channel will help boost political trust and people-to people exchange, and that the two sides will support each other on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue.

For his part, the Japanese official, who is also head of the Japan – Vietnam parliamentarians’ friendship alliance, held that bilateral relations are developing in a substantial and in-depth manner as well as bringing about practical benefits to the two peoples, and agreed that the two countries should continue contributing to the consolidation and development of the relations between the two countries and the two law-making bodies.

The two sides agreed to push parliamentarian and people-to-people exchanges, and that the two law-making bodies will intensify their cooperation and closely coordinate at international and regional forums as well as support each other’s stance on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Also on January 11, the Japanese official visited Hoi An ancient city in nearby Quang Nam province, where Japanese cultural, art and historic values are largely seen and carefully kept.

At a press conference in Da Nang on January 12, the Japanese official also expressed his hope that Vietnam and Japan will continue further strengthening their exchanges and cooperation, stressing on the role of the younger generations.

Vietnamese media should increase visits to Japan to get a better understanding of the Japanese culture so as to popularise it to the Vietnamese people, he added./.