Hanoi locals, who by chance see the Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide jogging around Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown of the capital city on October 20 morning, are astonished to see a foreign leader so close in their familiar area. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife started their official visit to Vietnam from October 18 afternoon at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This is his first overseas trip by PM Suga since he took office last month and the second consecutive time that a Japanese prime minister has selected Vietnam as his first overseas destination after taking office. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide takes a walk around Hoan Kiem lake with his convoys, enjoying the fresh air of the morning in the most famous lake of Hanoi. Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi attracts tourists and locals looking to get away from the noise and frenetic pace of the city. Peaceful and quiet, the lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda sitting in the centre on a small island. The temple, a tourist destination, was built in commemoration of the 13th century military leader Tran Hung Dao who was renowned for his bravery in the battle against the Yuan Dynasty. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
People are amazed when seeing the leader of the Japanese government jogging in downtown Hanoi in a so close distance. It made them fell like the Japanese Prime Minister was a normal tourist who is enjoying the beauty of a strange city in his tour. Hanoi was the only Asia Pacific locality to be granted the "City for Peace" title by the UNESCO on July 16, 1999, recognising its contributions to the struggle for peace, its efforts to promote equality in the community, protect the environment, promote culture and education and care for younger generations. The city was recently named among top 15 destinations in the world by TripAdvisor travelers. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
All Hanoians wave their hands towards the Japanese leader who they found very friendly, simple and nice. Born in 1948, PM Suga has been the Prime Minister of Japan since September 2020. He was the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 2012 to 2020 and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from 2006 to 2007. Born to a family of strawberry farmers in rural Akita Prefecture, Suga moved to Tokyo after graduating from high school, where he enrolled in Hosei University. Shortly after graduating with a Bachelor of Laws, Suga became an aide to Representative Hikosaburo Okonogi in 1975 before entering politics himself when he was elected to the Yokohama Municipal Assembly in 1987. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Prime Minister Suga waves his hand back to locals of Hanoi. Vietnam is the country that he has chosen for his first overseas trip just a month after he took the office. The visit takes place in the context of the fruitfully developing Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership. Japan has remained Vietnam’s leading economic partner, largest ODA provider, second-largest investor, and fourth-largest trade partner. It aimed to further enhance the bilateral relationship, seek ways to step up cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, human resources, education and training, and culture, and provide a forum for discussing regional and international issues of shared concern. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Prime Minister Suga takes the walking exercise for about 15 minutes before getting on his car to return to the hotel. During his stay in Vietnam from October 18-20, PM Suga paid a courtesy call on Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong; held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc; witnessed the exchange of signed cooperative documents; met with Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, received Head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission and Chairman of the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group (VJFPG) Pham Minh Chinh, and met with students of the Vietnam – Japan University. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging many countries in the world, Vietnam has shown strong performance in controlling the pandemic thanks to drastic measures rolled out by the Government, the efforts of the whole political system as well as the consensus of the entire society. September 20 is the 18th straight day without community transmission of the coronavirus in Vietnam. The Japanese leader’s visit offered an opportunity for Vietnam to prove its safety and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while promoting the country’s achievements in reform and socio-economic development, as well as efforts in improving its position in international area, implementing the foreign policy and international integration. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
PM Suga’s policy on Vietnam is the continuity of that given by former PM Shinzo Abe. After the two countries established diplomatic ties on September 21, 1973, the Vietnam-Japan relationship has enjoyed fast growth over the past years. The relationship is now at its best since the establishment of the diplomatic ties, with high mutual trust. The two sides have maintained important cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee co-chaired by foreign ministers of the two countries, the strategic partnership dialogue on external affairs, national defence and security at deputy foreign ministerial level, the defence policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level, the deputy ministerial-level security dialogue, the joint committee on trade, energy and industry, the agricultural dialogue at the ministerial level, and the maritime policy dialogue at the ministerial level. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Japanese Prime Minister Suga is one of many foreign leaders who felt relax to take morning exercise around Hoan Kiem Lake and enjoyed the culture, cuisine and unique lifestyle in Hanoi. Previously, Australian PM John Howard jogged around Hoan Kiem Lake during his stay for the 14th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and US President Barack Obama enjoyed “bun cha” at a small restaurant in Le Van Huu street and talked to a street vendor in Me Tri market. These stories reflected a safe and hospitable Vietnam. With its cultural diversity, improving business climate, stable defence and security, Hanoi is well known worldwide as a safe and friendly destination. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
PM Suga’s official visit to Vietnam takes place in the context that the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership has unceasingly developed in various sectors and the mutual political trust has been reinforced. It is an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm itself as a safe destination amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, highlight its socio-economic achievements, enhance its position on the international arena and prove its determination to accelerate international integration. On October 19, the wives of the Japanese and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, Suga Mariko and Tran Nguyet Thu, visited the Temple of Literature and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi as part of the Japanese Prime Minister’s official visit to Vietnam. (Photo: VietnamPlus) VNA
