Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Khai, agreed Monday on the basics of a bilateral investment treaty that would give each country most- favored nation status.
Khai said Japanese investment is important to Vietnam's economic growth and that he hopes Japanese firms of all sizes will take advantage of the treaty, according to a Foreign Ministry official.
Japan is Vietnam's No. 1 economic partner in terms of investment, trade and official development assistance. The two countries launched official negotiations on the investment treaty in March 2002.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.