Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio (right) presents the Order of the Rising Sun, first-class Grand Cross, to former NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on January 24. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Former Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, first-class Grand Cross, of the Japanese Government at a ceremony held in Hanoi on January 24. The event saw the presence of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Standing Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and vice chairmen Nguyen Khac Dinh and Nguyen Duc Hai.
On behalf of the Emperor and Government of Japan, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio announced the decision and handed over the order to Ngan.
Yamada emphasised the former parliament leader’s enormous contributions to the reinforcement of the friendship between the two countries, while serving in different positions, from Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to Vice Chair and then Chair of the NA.
He noted that as Vice Chairwoman and Chairwoman of the NA, Ngan promoted exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries. She also helped enhance political trust as seen in the visits to Vietnam by the speakers and vice speakers of the House of Representatives and House of Councillors of Japan, along with other high-ranking leaders of the Northeast Asian nation.
Earlier, as Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, she had made active contributions to labour cooperation, including stepping up the sending of Vietnamese nurses to Japan under the countries’ Economic Partnership Agreement, the ambassador said, adding nearly 1,900 nurses of Vietnam have come to work in his country so far.
The total number of Vietnamese studying and working in Japan now approximates 520,000.
Describing Vietnamese personnel as an indispensable factor of Japan’s socioeconomic development, he voiced his hope that bilateral cooperation will grow further and in various forms to meet aspirations, and that Vietnamese workers will have a higher stature and help to strongly connect the countries together.
Expressing her pride to receive the order, former Chairwoman Ngan called this a great honour reflecting Japan’s evaluation of her performance.
She wished the Vietnam - Japan relations will continue to flourish in the future./.
VNA