Tokyo (VNA) – Special Advisor to the Japan – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Takebe Tsutomu has highlighted the critical role of national legislatures and bilateral parliamentary cooperation in ensuring the sustainable development of broader relations between the two countries.
Talking with Vietnam News Agency reporters based in Tokyo ahead of Vietnam’s election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2030 tenure, Takebe, who is also former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, affirmed that collaboration between the Vietnamese NA and Japan’s National Diet provides a solid legal and budgetary foundation for inter-governmental diplomatic agreements, enabling strategic projects to be implemented on a stable and long-term basis.
A clear example of this cooperation, he noted, is the Vietnam – Japan University (VJU) project. Without strong support from both legislatures, the nationally symbolic project would have struggled to overcome initial barriers and become efficiently operational, he said.
According to him, the role of legislatures will become even more important, particularly in supporting quality workforce training initiatives such as the Institute of Japanese Culture – Technology – Language (VJU Academy). The model is designed in coordination with major Vietnamese technology companies to provide information technology training and reskilling opportunities for returning technical interns, equipping them to realise their potential as highly skilled professionals in either Vietnam or Japan.
In his view, 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.
Looking back, Takebe recalled that Vietnam’s January 6, 1946 general election represented a landmark affirmation of the spirit that “the people are the true masters of the country”, a foundational idea that continues to guide Vietnam’s development today. As a cornerstone in building a socialist rule-of-law state, the Vietnamese NA has played an indispensable role in national progress.
In particular, amid Vietnam’s push to advance a national strategy for human resources development and improve the business environment toward a “new era” vision articulated by Party General Secretary To Lam, the legislature’s role is becoming increasingly important, he added.
In closing, Takebe expressed his hope that the Vietnamese NA will continue to strongly lead education reform and industrial upgrading through a transparent legal system. Such steps, he said, will not only give Japanese investors greater confidence in accelerating technology transfer but also create an optimal environment for Vietnamese citizens and firms to fully unleash their potential, contributing to a prosperous future jointly built by both countries and their peoples./.
