Tokyo (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam received Nikai Toshihiro, former chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, and governors of several Japanese localities, in Tokyo on November 10, as part of his official visit to Japan.
The Japanese governors included Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko, Niigata Governor Hanazumi Hideyo, Yamanashi Governor Nagasaki Kotaro, Mie Governor Ichimi Katsuyuki, and Wakayama Governor Miyazaki Izumi.
At the reception, General Secretary and President Lam expressed his delight at the strong and substantive development of the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across various fields, stressing that Japan remains one of Vietnam's leading strategic partners, with a high level of political trust.
He appreciated the warm and sincere sentiments that Nikai and the governors have shown towards Vietnam and its people, and highly valued their active and effective contributions to cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, healthcare, high-tech agriculture, sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges.
Welcoming cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese localities, General Secretary and President Lam noted that Vietnam has recently reorganised its administrative units, helping to concentrate resources, unleash potential and advantages, expand development space, and strengthen regional linkages as well as creating new development momentum, promoting growth and economic restructuring, and improving state management.
The implementation of a two-tier local administration system, together with stronger decentralisation and greater autonomy and accountability for local authorities, will help bring about significant changes in connectivity and cooperation between localities of the two countries, the leader added.
For their part, Nikai and the governors highly valued the two countries' adoption of a Joint Vision Statement, saying it ushers in a new period of more substantive, comprehensive and effective development of bilateral relations.
Expressing their admiration for Vietnam's renewal process, sound development policies and the dynamism of its economy, they voiced their hope that more businesses in Japanese localities will cooperate with and invest in Vietnam for the benefit of the two countries' people.
They also wished to continue sharing experience in disaster response and affirmed their continued support for stronger cooperation with Vietnam in areas with substantial potential, including tourism, agricultural technology, labour, agriculture, science and technology, energy, and exchanges between localities and their people.
On the occasion, the top Vietnamese leader called on Nikai and the governors to continue serving as bridges to promote cooperation with Vietnamese localities, particularly in new fields such as science and technology, innovation, digital and green transformation, artificial intelligence and smart cities.
He also encouraged Japanese businesses to expand investment in Vietnam in their areas of strength, including manufacturing, clean energy, infrastructure and logistics, while enhancing cooperation in training and receiving Vietnamese workers, engineers and other highly skilled human resources.
The leader stressed the need to step up cultural exchanges, tourism cooperation and youth connectivity to make the Vietnam-Japan Tourism Year 2027 a landmark success, thereby helping consolidate a lasting foundation of friendship between the two peoples.
Vietnam stands ready to create the most favourable conditions possible for businesses from Japanese localities to cooperate, invest and operate successfully in the country, he affirmed./.
