The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Japan ’s Fuji TV on Nov. 3 jointly launched a website aimed at promoting Japanese businesses in Vietnamese and English languages.

The launch of the website took place only one day after Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung concluded an official visit to Japan from October 30 to November 2.

The “Catch Asia ! Look Japan ” programme, jointly implemented by VNA e-newspaper VietnamPlus and Fuji TV, aims to promote Japanese companies’ pioneering strategies and advanced technologies, as well as the sharing of information between Vietnam and Japan .

The programme is expected to create favourable conditions for economic activities and contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of both Vietnam and Japan .

The website, at www.catchasialookjapan.com and www.congtynhatban.info , provides the profiles of dozens of Japanese businesses operating or planning to operate in Vietnam , as well as latest information on production and business circumstances, new technologies and long-term investment strategies of those companies in Vietnam and other countries, as well as their social activities.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi said that Japan has always been one of Vietnam ’s leading economic partners.

The two sides have signed the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) and their cooperation has developed strongly over the past 30 years, he said.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Japan exceeded 16 billion USD in 2010, up nearly 22 percent over the previous year. The figure reached 14.9 billion USD in the first nine months of 2011.

During PM Dung’s Japan visit, Vietnam and Japan signed a joint statement in which the two sides reaffirmed a commitment to consolidate and deepen cooperation in such fields as strengthening exchanges and dialogues; economics, trade and investment; energy, natural resources and climate change; science and technology and human resource development; mutual understanding between the two peoples; and regional and international cooperation.

“Therefore, the sharing of information about Japanese businesses with the cooperation of the VNA e-newspaper will help readers access reliable news sources to understand more about Japan and business opportunities with Japanese businesses. This will also help further develop the two countries’ relations, especially in economic trade and investment,” Loi said.

The VNA General Director noted that after the March earthquake-tsunami catastrophe, Japan has shown the world the image of a country which is always able to get back on its feet and rises strongly while keeping commitments to partners like Vietnam .

For his part, Fuji TV Vice President Ryosuke Yokoi said for Japanese businesses, Vietnam is always a stable and attractive business and investment market. The proof of this confidence is Japan ’s increasing investment in Vietnam .

Businesses introduced in ‘Catch Asia! Look Japan ’ are those with time-honoured tradenames popular among Vietnamese and are eager with their plans to expand long-term activities in Vietnam , he added.

He also said Fuji TV is happy to cooperate with the VNA’s online newspaper VietnamPlus to build a useful information channel for Japanese businesses as well as Vietnamese partners, contributing to enhancing the Vietnam-Japan cooperation./.