Foreign Minister receives Japanese officials in Hue

Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung on September 6 received Governor of Nara prefecture Yamashita Makoto, who was in Hue city for the second Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum.

Trung affirmed that locality-to-locality cooperation is an effective channel for implementing commitments and agreements reached by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders, while strengthening connectivity and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Japan.

Appreciating the positive cooperation between Nara and Vietnamese localities, he proposed that Nara continue encouraging businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, to expand investment and business activities in Vietnam; step up technology transfer and high-quality human resource training; and promote cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation and areas in which the prefecture has strengths.

The minister expressed his appreciation and hoped that Nara authorities would continue to pay attention to, support and facilitate the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in the prefecture. He also proposed that Nara further strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese localities.

Trung affirmed that, given its position in the region and the international arena, Vietnam will continue cooperation to contribute to Japan’s development.

For his part, Yamashita spoke highly of the significance of the forum in promoting connectivity and expanding cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese localities, and shared his impression of Vietnam’s dynamic development.

He said that the community of more than 5,200 Vietnamese people accounts for the largest proportion of the foreign community living, studying and working in Nara, making positive contributions to the prefecture’s socio-economic development. The governor affirmed that the local authorities would continue to support the Vietnamese expats.

Agreeing with the views and proposals put forward by Trung, Yamashita affirmed that Nara attaches importance to and wishes to further expand cooperation with Vietnam, strengthen connections between the authorities, businesses and people of the two sides, thereby contributing to the development of the Vietnam-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership.

Also on the same day, in Hue city, Trung met with special adviser to Wakayama prefecture Shimo Hiroshi, who was also in Hue for the forum.

At the meeting, the FM proposed that Wakayama continue strengthening cooperation with existing Vietnamese partners and explore opportunities to expand cooperation with new localities; encourage its businesses to expand investment, transfer technology and participate more deeply in supply chains in Vietnam, particularly in high-tech agriculture, food processing, supporting industries, green transformation, digital transformation and innovation; and step up human resource training as well as tourism, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The special adviser said Wakayama has ad actively implemented various cooperation programmes with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities, particularly in labour, agriculture and trade. The prefectural authorities have also consistently facilitated the integration, residence, study and work of the Vietnamese community of more than 2,200 people there.

Agreeing with the minister’s views and proposals, Shimo affirmed that Wakayama attaches importance to and wishes to further expand cooperation with Vietnam, continue promoting its role as a bridge to strengthen connections between Wakayama and Vietnamese localities and businesses, and support the Vietnamese community in the prefecture.

Trung affirmed that the ministry will continue accompanying Wakayama and Vietnamese localities to make cooperation between Vietnam and the prefecture in particular, and with Japanese localities in general, more substantive and effective in the time to come.