Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay an official visit to Japan from November 8 to 11, at the invitation of the Japanese State, according to Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang.
Speaking at the ministry’s regular press conference on November 5, Hang noted that over recent years, the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to develop comprehensively and substantively through all Party, Government and parliamentary channels, as well as people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities, and across all fields.
Political trust has continued to be strengthened, with the two countries sharing numerous common strategic interests.
Japan remains one of Vietnam's leading partners in economic cooperation, and ranks first in official development assistance (ODA) and labour cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in trade and tourism. Bilateral trade reached 33.7 billion USD in the first eight months of 2026, up 27% year-on-year, putting the two countries on track to achieve their target of 60 billion USD by 2030 ahead of schedule.
Cooperation in emerging areas such as digital transformation, green transition and renewable energy has also made significant progress. Human resources development, local-level cooperation and people-to-people exchanges remain highlights of bilateral ties. Nearly 700,000 Vietnamese people are currently living in Japan, with a growing proportion of intellectuals and highly skilled workers, including around 7,000 IT engineers.
During the visit, General Secretary and President Lam is scheduled to meet with the Japanese Emperor, hold talks with the Prime Minister, meet with the Presidents of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives, deliver a policy address at the National Diet, visit Kanagawa prefecture and attend other important diplomatic engagements.
The spokesperson said that the visit aims to strengthen the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on promoting substantive and comprehensive collaboration across all key pillars of bilateral relations, particularly traditional areas such as political cooperation, as well as economic, investment and trade ties.
The leaders of the two countries are also expected to discuss measures to expand and deepen cooperation in emerging fields, including innovation, green transition, digital transformation and high-quality human resources, alongside established areas such as education and training and labour.
These are fields in which Japan has considerable experience and strengths, while Vietnam has growing demand and significant potential for further cooperation, and that both sides will prioritise their development in the coming period.
Local-level cooperation and people-to-people exchanges will also feature prominently. The two countries currently have more than 100 pairs of localities engaged in cooperation.
Regarding the objectives and expectations of the visit, Hang said it is expected to generate strong momentum for translating agreements and commitments reached by the two countries' leaders at various levels into more extensive and effective implementation, contributing positively to development and growth in both countries, as well as to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world./.
VNA
