Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received the governors of the Japanese prefectures of Aichi, Tochigi, Niigata, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi in Tokyo on December 17 as part of his trip to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN - Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

At the meetings, PM Chinh expressed his delight at the progress of the Vietnam - Japan multifaceted relations, including the breakthrough development of locality-to-locality cooperation, noting that one of the main purposes of this trip is to promote this kind of ties in the spirit of mutual benefits.

He highly valued the results of the Japanese prefectures’ partnerships with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities, as well as the support from the governors and their prefectures’ administrations for cooperation with Vietnam.

He called on the governors to enhance ties with Vietnam, including such localities as Thai Binh, Khanh Hoa, Hai Duong, and Can Tho that also join the Vietnamese delegation to Japan this time, to tap into existing potential by increasing all-level delegation exchanges, investment, human resources training, and educational connections.

The Government leader asked them to continue providing optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community to contribute more to the development of their prefectures along with the two countries’ friendship.

Hailing the upgrade of the countries’ relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in November, the Japanese governors spoke highly of Vietnamese people’s contributions to local socio-economic development. They expressed their hope to welcome more Vietnamese coming to study and work in their localities and affirmed the readiness to create more favourable conditions for the community to further integrate into the local society.

Aichi Governor Omura Hideaki voiced his wish to further step up substantive cooperation with Vietnamese localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Phuc province, via mutual visits, economic and investment links, and cultural exchanges.

He noted that more than 200 businesses of Aichi are investing in Vietnam, and the prefecture is accommodating the biggest number of Vietnamese people in Japan (53,000). Besides, Aichi in coordination with HCM City has frequently held the Vietnam Festival to help popularise Vietnamese images in the prefecture and foster the two countries’ cultural and tourism ties.

PM Chinh asked Omura, with Aichi’s strength in industry, to assist Vietnam to carry out the industrialisation and modernisation strategy as pledged by Japanese PM Kishida Fumio, double the number of Aichi businesses in Vietnam to 400 after 10 years, and promote the organisation of the cherry blossom festival in HCM City.

At another meeting, Tochigi Governor Fukuda Tomikazu informed about his prefecture’s cooperation agreement with the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, which aims to boost investment partnerships, and its efforts to enhance educational and tourism collaboration with Vietnam. He also voiced his wish to strengthen cooperation with Vinh Phuc province on the basis of their signed agreement.

PM Chinh suggest Fukuda step up partnerships in the areas Tochigi holds strength such as digital transformation, labour, education, tourism, and training. He also called on local authorities to create conditions for Vietnam’s FPT company to operate effectively in the prefecture.

Meanwhile, Niigata Governor Hanazumi Hideyo highlighted his prefecture’s deals on investment, trade, and tourism cooperation with Thanh Hoa and Vinh Long provinces, pledging to encourage more Niigata businesses to invest in Vietnam.

PM Chinh appreciated the governor’s efforts to reinforce connections between Niigata and Vietnam while applauding the successful investments and operation expansion in educational and food sectors by many companies from the prefecture in the Southeast Asian country.

Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji noted his prefecture’s organisation of regular cultural, investment, trade, tourism, and labour cooperation events between the two countries. Twenty-four businesses from Kanagawa have invested in Vietnam while 17 others from the country have poured investment into the prefecture.

Kuroiwa said he hopes to continue enhancing substantive relations with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and the localities Kanagawa has established ties with like Hanoi, HCM City, Hung Yen, Quang Ninh, Can Tho, and Lang Son, and foster Kanagawa businesses’ tourism ties with and investment in Vietnam in the areas of its strength such as manufacturing, supporting industries, environment, digital transformation, green transition, energy, and health care.

Highly valuing the prefecture’s healthcare achievements, PM Chinh suggested the governor consider establishing a centre for population ageing research at the Vietnam National Innovation Centre to devise policies in response to this issue./.VNA