The Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association (JVFA) in Japan’s Ibaraki prefecture held a get-together on June 21 to mark the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

Addressing the event, held in the prefecture’s capital Mito, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung expressed his hope that Ibaraki and Vietnam will promote ties in various fields, including economics, trade and human resources training.

He said bilateral potential is huge, especially in agriculture, and called for more recruitment of Vietnamese graduates and apprentices in this field.

Chairman of the Ibaraki JVFA chapter Toranosuke Shimoyamada pledged to further strengthen the friendship between Japan and Vietnam.

The same day, Ambassador Hung met with Chairman of the JA (Japan Agriculture Cooperatives) Group Ibaraki Toyokuni Kakurai, during which the two sides agreed to study a bilateral cooperation mechanism in farm production and rural development.

Kakurai said he wishes to recruit Vietnamese graduates and apprentices to work in Japan in agriculture and vowed to develop a framework for this.

The Vietnamese Ambassador suggested investigating areas of potential cooperation in rural development, road construction, hospital and school management and waste treatment; all areas in which Ibaraki has been successful.

Earlier in the day, Ambassador Hung met with the leaders of the Minori Farming Association and toured one of the prefecture’s most successful dairy farms, followed by a visit to the Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd. company.-VNA