Japan

The overseas Vietnamese community always closely follows information related to the election and, where possible, will directly exercise their civic rights, said Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Japan.

Le Thuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the Kansai region, said overseas Vietnamese are closely following the upcoming election, viewing it as an important opportunity to strengthen the effectiveness of governance and ensure that development policies meet the country’s evolving needs.

Cooperation between the legislatures of the two countries serves as a foundation for bilateral relations and also contributes to mutual understanding among their politicians, said Chairwoman of the Japan – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Obuchi Yuko.

The establishment of mechanisms for workforce development, supported through legislative oversight and dedicated budget allocations, is among the most meaningful outcomes of cooperation between the two legislatures, said Special Advisor to the Japan – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Takebe Tsutomu.

A Dien Bien official said the province wishes to expand practical exchanges and cooperation with Japanese peers, thus contributing to the broader partnership between the two countries.

Overseas Vietnamese in Japan have expressed their high expectations that the upcoming election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure will help shape key policies to drive Vietnam’s development in the new phase.

Vietnam consistently regards Japan as one of its most important partners and a sincere and reliable friend that accompanies it in achieving its development objectives.

Vietnam remains steadfast in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of relations, in which Japan is viewed as a leading, long-term and trusted partner in the new era of development driven by knowledge, science and technology.

State President Luong Cuong on February 23 sent a message of congratulations to Japanese Emperor Naruhito on the occasion of his birthday.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 18 sent a congratulatory message to Takaichi Sanae on her re-election as President of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and her continuation in office as the 105th Prime Minister of Japan.

Chairwoman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Obuchi Yuko said Japan highly values Vietnam’s ongoing reform efforts and remains confident in its long-term development prospects.

Japan continues to be Vietnam’s number one partner in official development assistance (ODA) and labour cooperation, third-largest investor, and fourth-largest partner in trade and tourism.

Vu also expressed his hope that JICA will continue to urge the Japanese Government to consider providing Vietnam with next-generation ODA loans to support the country’s key, large-scale projects.

Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong highly valued the positive and fruitful cooperation between the Vietnam People’s Navy and the JMSDF, saying that this has helped enhance professional skills and technical expertise while fostering friendship and mutual understanding between the two forces.

Before setting sail for the Republic of Korea on the next leg of its journey, Frigate 015-Tran Hung Dao conducted joint manoeuvring and at-sea communications exercises with JS Yamagiri.

Both sides affirmed the upgrade of the strategic partnership dialogue to the first Vice-Ministerial “2+2” Consultation as a reflection of the strong, trust-based development of the bilateral ties.

Two-way trade reached 42.5 billion USD in the first ten months of 2025, up 11% year on year, and is on track to surpass 50 billion USD for the first time. Investment from Japan rose 18% in the same period.

Gunma and other Japanese localities are encouraged to continue accompanying Vietnam in its new phase of development, with new, substantive, and effective areas of cooperation such as sustainable high-tech agriculture and industry, high-quality human-resource training, as well as expanding into new fields including rare earths, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum science.

The PM said he believes that the forum will serve as an opportunity to strengthen practical cooperation between businesses and localities of both countries, creating momentum for the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang met with Ozeki Kenji, Director of the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, to discuss cooperation in training high-quality human resources.