ASEAN and Japan set up their dialogue partnership in 1973. Over the past 50 years of cooperation, the relationship between ASEAN and Japan has developed comprehensively and dynamically in all fields, from politics and security to economics, trade, investment, culture, society, and development cooperation. ASEAN and Japan both want to strengthen cooperation and connectivity to adapt to common challenges and develop together. Japan is considered a reliable, substantive, and effective partner of ASEAN with positive participation and contribution to all ASEAN mechanisms and forums. Japan has also supported the solidarity, unity, and central role of ASEAN while holdingmany practical cooperation activities to support the building of the ASEAN Community.
At the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit in Indonesia in September 2023, the two sides announced the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a new milestone in the 50-year journey of cooperation. Held immediately after the two sides upgraded their bilateral relations, the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation provides an opportunity for the leaders of both sides to review the achievements of cooperation and devise directions for the development of their bilateral relations in the new period, worthy of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
The AZEC Summit will be held on this occasion to implement the initiative proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Meeting in January 2022, with the goal of promoting cooperation towards building a common Asian community with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and ensuring energy security and sustainable development. The Summit will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Japan, with the participation of leaders of Asian countries, including Vietnam. The first AZEC Ministerial Meeting was held in March 2023.
In recent years, the Vietnam-Japan relationship has continued to develop strongly and comprehensively, with high political trust, discussions, and exchanges taking place enthusiastically and intimately at high levels and at all levels. Economic cooperation continues to be the main pillar, and Japan is an important economic partner of Vietnam. The two sides have coordinated closely and effectively while supporting each other at multilateral, regional, and international forums. The year 2023 marks a new milestone in Vietnam-Japan relations, when the two countries celebrate 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations. Specifically, during the official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong in November 2023, the two countries announced the upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
Taking place in the year that marks a half-century of cooperation of ASEAN and Vietnam with Japan, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's business trip to attend theCommemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation is of great significance. This is an important foreign policy activity that continues to affirm and implement the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress on continuing to promote and improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs, thus raising the level of multilateral foreign affairs, including participation and cooperation activities within ASEAN.
Attending the Summit commemorating a milestone in ASEAN-Japan relations, Vietnam emphasises the message ofappreciating Japan's role as one of ASEAN's leading reliable, practical, and effective partners; affirming that Vietnam will cooperate with ASEAN countries and Japan to build a brighter future for ASEAN-Japan relations based on the achievements of cooperation between the two sides over the past 50 years.
This is also an opportunity for Vietnam to continue to affirm its strong commitment and responsible contribution to turning new areas of cooperation, including the digital, green and circular economy, into driving forces for growth and pillars in economic cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam attending the AZEC Summit to convey Vietnam's consistent message and policy on green growth and response to climate change. At the same time, this is an activity that contributes to affirming Vietnam's role and position in regional and international cooperation frameworks.
Taking place in the context that the two countries have just upgraded their relations, PM Pham Minh Chinh's bilateral activities in Japan promote the concretisation of commitments and implementation of agreements between Vietnam and Japan, according to the spirit and framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
May the business trip of PM Pham Minh Chinh and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities in Japan be a great success, contributing to strengthening the relationship between ASEAN and Vietnam with Japan, highlighting the message of a friendly, sincere and trustworthy Vietnam that is always ready to strengthen friendship, dialogue and cooperation for mutual benefit, as well as making contributions to building a peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world.
