Celebrating 50 years of establishing relations, Japan supports ASEAN with 55 billion yen

At the conference, ASEAN leaders affirmed their importance to the solidarity and cooperation relationship with Japan - ASEAN's oldest and most reliable partner. After 50 years of continuous consolidation and development, ASEAN - Japan cooperation has expanded to all areas; the relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his wife

Looking to the future, Japan and ASEAN agreed to develop their relationship in a practical and effective manner, commensurate with the stature of a comprehensive strategic partnership, bringing practical benefits to the people. They will strive to maintain and promote trade and investment exchanges, stabilize production and supply chains in the region, and facilitate exports to each other's markets.

At the same time, the two sides will further promote new areas of cooperation with great potential such as green economy, digital economy, and circular economy. ASEAN leaders welcomed Japan's consideration of ASEAN as a priority in its foreign policy and Indo- Pacific Strategy (FOIP); committed to continuing to support and assist ASEAN in building the community and promoting its central role in the region.

Total two-way trade turnover between ASEAN and Japan reached 268.5 billion USD, investment capital reached 26.7 billion USD in 2022. Many exchange and cultural activities, supporting ASEAN to narrow the development gap and develop the sub-region have been strongly implemented, contributing to firmly consolidating the connection between the two sides.

On this occasion, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced a support package worth 40 billion yen for people-to-people exchanges, cultural andeducational cooperation, and 15 billion yen for international research staff exchange programs (following an additional contribution of 14.2 billion yen to the ASEAN-Japan Integration Fund announced earlier this year).

For his part, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the spirit of solidarity and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan, especially during difficult times such as the 1997-1998 Asian financial and monetary crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and natural disasters in each region.

ASEAN - Japan leaders at the ceremony to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations

NORTH JAPAN

The Head of the Vietnamese Government also emphasized that the relationship with Japan is one of ASEAN's most successful relationships. He suggested that in the context of the world and the region experiencing many unprecedented challenges, the two sides should strengthen cooperation and strive to make the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a symbol of solidarity and international cooperation.

"From heart to heart" to "from action to action"

Based on the summary and drawing of three profound lessons from the development of ASEAN-Japan relations over the past 50 years, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed three major directions for this relationship to become a model and a positive factor.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister suggested that the two sides further strengthen strategic coordination and jointly build an open, inclusive, rules-based regional structure with ASEAN playing a central role.

Japan needs to continue to speak out in support of ASEAN’s common stance on the East Sea; actively support countries in the Mekong sub-region to effectively respond to non-traditional security challenges, promptly restart the Mekong cooperation mechanism, and prioritize promoting programs and projects to support sustainable development in the spirit of leaving no one behind.

The Prime Minister emphasized investment in human factors - the subject, goal, driving force and resource for development in general and for ASEAN-Japan relations in particular. In addition, he welcomed socio-cultural exchange activities and people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and Japan.

In particular, it is necessary to concretize the relationship from "heart to heart" into a relationship from "action to action" and "from emotion to effectiveness" with practical and specific cooperation projects, programs and plans within the framework of the ASEAN - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Leaders witness the lighting ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan diplomatic relations

Emphasizing the four connections, the Prime Minister suggested that the two sides strengthen economic, trade and investment connections, considering them the focus and driving force for the development of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; and promote infrastructure connections, especially strategic infrastructure.

Expand connectivity in new areas, especially innovation, digital transformation, green economy, circular economy, knowledge economy and smart agriculture, etc. Turn these areas into new growth drivers and new vitality for ASEAN-Japan cooperation in the coming time; prioritize connectivity to achieve sustainable development goals, without sacrificing progress, social justice and the environment to pursue mere growth.

Based on the spirit of political trust as the foundation, economic cooperation as the driving force and people-to-people exchange as the center, the Prime Minister expressed his belief that the ASEAN-Japan ship will overcome all challenges and continue to sail far in the next 50 years and beyond.

At the end of the conference, the leaders adopted the “Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation: Trusted Partners” and the “Plan to Implement the Vision Statement”, which serves as the basis for implementing the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the coming time.

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