Vietnam wants to strengthen cooperation with Japan, focusing on ties between the two countries’ localities, in order to realise its strategic goal of becoming an industrialised country by 2020.

The statement was made by To Huy Rua, Politburo member and head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation at a reception in Hanoi on August 19 for visiting Governor of Japan’s Saitama prefecture Ueda Kiyoshi.

Rua, who is also President of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, spoke highly of the governor’s active contributions to developing the friendship between Saitama and Vietnamese localities and the Vietnam-Japan relationship in general.

He expressed his belief that the visit will help boost investment and economic cooperation between Vietnam and Saitama prefecture, which boasts mature automotive and food processing industries.

It will also help develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he added.

For his part, Ueda Kiyoshi said he will do his utmost to promote cooperation between his prefecture and Vietnamese localities, including the central province of Thanh Hoa.-VNA