President Phuc meets Japanese PM, condoles Abe's death

Abe was a great, loyal friend of Vietnam and Vietnam will remember his contributions to improving relations between the two nations, Phuc said during his meeting with Kishida in Tokyo.

Kishida commended Vietnam for its admiration and respect for the former PM, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

It said the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in post-Covid-19 economic recovery, with a focus on priority areas such as provision of new-generation official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, developing a high-quality workforce, and assisting with Vietnam's industrialization.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, September 26, 2022. Photo by Vietnam News Agency

Kishida said Japan will continue to ease post-entry quarantine and isolation requirements for Vietnam, as also reintroduce the visa-free policy for diplomatic and official passports.

He said the Japanese government has taken steps to strengthen policies relating to foreign workers in Japan and the Vietnamese community in the country was benefiting from these efforts.

Phuc also met with Japan’s House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda and House of Councilors Speaker Hidehisa Otsuji.

The leaders of both houses said Phuc's attendance at the state funeral was a special gesture that demonstrated Vietnam's admiration and respect for Abe.

Phuc is heading a high-level delegation on a four-day (September 25-28) visit to attend the state funeral for Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Abe was assassinated on July 8 while giving a speech in Nara City. The suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, shot him twice in the back with a homemade gun. Abe died at the hospital.

As Japan’s prime minister, Abe visited Vietnam four times, the first in 2006 when he attended the APEC Summit in Hanoi.

In January 2013, Vietnam was his first foreign destination after being re-elected PM at the end of 2012