Vietnam, Japan pledge support for free, rule-based int'l order

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (KUNA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba agreed, Monday, on importance of supporting a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based international order, with full respect for international law and the UN Charter.
During Ishiba's official visit to Vietnam, in a joint statement issued by the Vietnamese Prime Minister's Office, the leaders stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea) and resolve disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
They highlighted economic cooperation as the cornerstone of bilateral ties and pledged to strengthen collaboration in science, technology, innovation, and high-quality human resource development.
Ishiba also affirmed Japan's support for Vietnam's hosting of the 2027 APEC summit and promised to consider sending a government representative to the 16th UNCTAD ministerial meeting in Hanoi.
The two leaders welcomed the growing strategic partnership between their countries and agreed to upgrade the current dialogue mechanism to a "2+2" format involving deputy foreign and defense ministers, with the first meeting set for 2025.
They further committed to boosting cooperation on infrastructure development, investment, trade, disaster response, climate change, labor, tourism, and cultural exchange, and agreed to hold a local cooperation forum by the end of 2025.
Several key cooperation documents were signed, including agreements on semiconductor research, Japanese language education in Vietnamese schools, and energy transition projects. (end) aab.dss