Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received former PM of Japan Suga Yoshihide on November 25 as part of his official visit to the East Asian nation.

PM Chinh conveyed compliments from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other high-ranking Vietnamese leaders to Suga and invited him to soon visit Vietnam again.

He expressed his delight at the fast, practical and comprehensive development of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership and appreciated the former Japanese PM’s sentiments towards Vietnam and his contributions to the sound bilateral ties.

The two countries have supported each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and recovered exchange activities and meetings in the new normal, he said.

PM Chinh asked Suga to continue backing and promoting the bilateral relations to a new height, especially in fields where the two sides have potential and demand for, including the diversification of supply chains, supporting industry development, innovation, digital transformation and information technology development, among others.

For his part, Suga highly valued PM Chinh's official visit, believing that it will further bolster the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership in all fields.

He shared Japan’s effective experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, particularly raising public awareness of wearing face masks and vaccination, and was willing to introduce experts in the field to Vietnam.

Suga spoke highly of Vietnam’s role and important contributions in the region and the world, affirming to closely cooperate with the country and tighten the bilateral friendship.