This is the third time Vietnam has invited to attend the summit and the second time Vietnam has attended as a single nation, not in its capacity as a representative of an organisation or a group of countries in the region.
As an important multilateral summit of the world, the G7 summit 2023 takes place in the context that the world’s political, economic, and security situation continues to be complicated and unpredictable, creating multi-dimensional impacts on the security environment and development of the countries. The strategic competition between major countries has been increasingly fierce. The world economy has recovered slowly and faced many risks, especially the risks of high inflation and unstable financial system. Non-traditional security challenges such as natural disasters, epidemics, climate change, etc. continue to be complicated.
The extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan has developed strongly and comprehensively over the past years, with high political trust. The two countries’ leaders have maintained high-level exchanges and contacts. Japan is Vietnam's leading economic partner.
The cooperation between the two countries has been actively promoted, especially in the fields of defence-security, trade-investment, official development aid (ODA), healthcare, agriculture, science-technology, digital transformation, education-training, and climate change adaptation. The two sides have closely and effectively coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums and in regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Taking place in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21, the G7 Summit and the expanded summit of the G7 will be chaired by Japan under the role of G7 President and non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council during 2023-2024 tenure.
With the main theme of cooperation in addressing multiple crises, joint efforts for a sustainable planet, and towards a world of peace, stability and prosperity, the discussions in Hiroshima will focus on food, healthcare, development, gender equality, climate change response, environment, and energy. These are all urgent global issues.
Vietnam is one of the few in the world and only country in Southeast Asia invited to attend the summit when it does not hold the role of rotating chair of the forum or cooperation mechanism in the region and in the world. Indonesia is a guest as the ASEAN Rotating Chair in 2023.
This is also the second time Japan has invited Vietnam to attend an expanded G7 summit. This shows that Japan and the G7 countries highly value and appreciate Vietnam’s position and role as a partner as well as its active, responsible, and effective contributions to solving key issues of the region and the world.
The attendance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vietnamese high-ranking delegation at the G7 expanded summit and their working visit to Japan continues to affirm Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation towards enhancing multilateral cooperation and developing diplomatic relations in a deeper and more practical manner.
This is also the second time Japan has invited Vietnam to attend an expanded G7 summit. This shows that Japan and the G7 countries highly value and appreciate Vietnam’s position and role as a partner as well as its active, responsible, and effective contributions to solving key issues of the region and the world.
This is an important opportunity for Vietnam to propose initiatives and contributions to discussions at the summit, especially those directly related to Vietnam's interests, security, and development, such as sustainable development, medical cooperation, climate change response, environment, and energy, thereby ensuring and promoting the legitimate interests of the country.
In 2023, Vietnam and Japan celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's working visit to Japan continues to affirm that Vietnam values and wishes to bolster the extensive Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership, as well as to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries, especially in areas where both sides have potential and strengths.
May Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's trip to the expanded summit of the G7 and working visit to Japan a great success, which will contribute to promoting Vietnam's role as an important partner as well as affirm Vietnam's active, proactive, and creative participation and practical contribution to the common work of the international community.
