Hanoi (VNA) – Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Politburo member, Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee's Organisation Commission and Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 22 for Executive Acting Secretary-General of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Hagiuda Koichi and his delegation.
The two sides expressed satisfaction with the robust development of the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across all fields, noting that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's official visit to Vietnam in May 2026 had created fresh momentum for strengthening ties between the two parties and the two countries.
Briefing the guests on Vietnam's recent achievements, Ngoc said the country's economy has remained a bright spot, with GDP growth reaching 8.02% in 2025 and an estimated 8.18% in the first half of 2026, the highest first-half growth rate since 2011. He noted that macroeconomic stability has been maintained, inflation remained under control and major economic balances were ensured, while strong inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI reflected growing investor confidence.
The Party official highlighted Vietnam's ongoing efforts to streamline its administrative system through the implementation of the two-tier local administration model and expanded decentralisation and delegation of authority.
Ngoc thanked Japan for its effective and long-term support through official development assistance (ODA) and high-quality FDI, particularly the contribution of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has helped train nearly 500 Vietnamese officials and managers in recent years.
He proposed Japan share its experience in operating the local administration model and decentralisation mechanisms to support Vietnam's ongoing institutional reforms.
Hagiuda congratulated Ngoc on his appointment as Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group. He said the successful visit by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae had opened up new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, expressing his hope that the LDP delegation's visit would further deepen relations between the two countries, the two ruling parties and their parliamentary friendship groups.
To advance the bilateral ties, Ngoc proposed making human resource development a key pillar of cooperation. He called for Japan's support in implementing a training programme for Vietnamese officials during 2026-2028 and establishing a dedicated training and networking mechanism for outstanding Vietnamese leaders under the age of 35.
He also suggested expanding cooperation in developing a highly skilled workforce in digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), green transition and the semiconductor industry, while extending collaboration to emerging areas such as economic security and quantum technology.
The Vietnamese official called for enhancing cooperation between the two legislatures by promoting exchanges between the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, encouraging greater participation by young lawmakers and local council members to build a strong foundation for future bilateral relations.
Ngoc also requested Japan to continue supporting the nearly 700,000-strong Vietnamese community living in the Northeastern Asian country and to consider simplifying visa procedures, with a view to gradually introducing visa exemptions for Vietnamese citizens.
Hagiuda expressed his support for Vietnam's proposals, affirming that the LDP and the Japanese parliament would continue promoting exchanges between parliamentary friendship groups and local legislators while coordinating on new cooperation projects in green energy, AI, semiconductors and digital transformation.
At the meeting, Director of the LDP International Bureau Taro Kono also proposed expanding cooperation between the LDP and the CPV, and increasing the regular exchange of delegations in the coming time./.
