HCMC - Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae arrived in Hanoi on the evening of May 1, beginning an official visit to Vietnam from May 1 to May 3 at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

The delegation was welcomed at the Noi Bai International Airport by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government Office.

Takaichi is accompanied by officials from Japan’s Cabinet Office, National Security Secretariat and several ministries, including foreign affairs, economy, trade and industry, agriculture, defense, and internal affairs and communications.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, the visit underscores Japan’s focus on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and comes after Takaichi’s re-election in February, with Vietnam the first country in the region she has visited since then.

The two sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas including economic development, science and technology, innovation, energy and food security, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green transition, human resources, tourism, local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, as well as regional and international issues.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said the visit is Takaichi’s second to Vietnam, following a trip in 2020 when she served as Japan’s internal affairs and communications minister, adding that meetings with Vietnamese leaders are expected to reaffirm bilateral coordination under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.