A visitor exploring documents kept in the National Archive of Vietnam (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – An online exhibition of archived documents highlighting the history of Vietnam-Japan relations was launched on September 20 as part of activities to celebrate the 45-year ties between the two countries.
The exhibition, jointly organised by the National Archives of both Vietnam and Japan, introduces various documents kept by the two agencies, showing some of the important milestones in the Vietnam-Japan partnership through the decades, many of which are to be made public for the first time.
The exhibition will be run for three years on the websites of the two agencies in Vietnamese and Japanese.
According to Dang Thanh Tung, Director of the National Archive of Vietnam, said that the exhibition is the result of active and effective cooperation of the two sides in promoting the values of national achieved documents, while realising a memorandum of understanding on cooperation signed between the two agencies earlier.
The documents show that Vietnam and Japan set up relations very early in the eighth century.
Since the early first exchanges in religion and culture, the relationship between Vietnam and Japan has been expanded to many other areas such as marine and trade. In the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), many Japanese trade vessels visited Vietnam and contributed to the formation of trading ports in the central region, including Hoi An in Quang Nam province.
Despite significant historical developments during the 19th-20th centuries, Vietnam-Japan relations have never been disrupted.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trieu Van Cuong said that Vietnam and Japan share many similarities in history, culture, tradition, and humanitarian values.
After 45 years of ties, the two sides have become each other’s important partners in many fields, he said, adding that the exhibition will give visitors a deeper understanding on the history of the ties, while showing the important role of national archive agencies of both sides in maintaining and transferring historical memories to younger generations.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio said that the organisation of the exhibition has a significant meaning, showing both the past and future of the Vietnam-Japan partnership.
The diplomat also expressed his delight at the growth of the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in economy, trade, and education, stressing that the sustainable development of ties with Vietnam has an important role in the diplomatic policies of Japan. –VNA
VNA
