Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính speaks at the Việt Nam-Tochigi Economic Forum. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính yesterday attended the Việt Nam-Tochigi Economic Forum organised by the Tochigi Prefectural Government, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.

Representatives of 10 localities of Việt Nam, leading enterprises of Tochigi Prefecture, and Vietnamese enterprises were participating in the conference. The conference is an opportunity for the two sides to share new investment trends and solutions to improve Việt Nam's business investment environment. At the same time, concerned parties can make suggestions to improve cooperation efficiency for further success of businesses when investing and doing business in Việt Nam.

Fukuda Tomikazu, Governor of Tochigi Prefecture, said that Tochigi Prefecture has the third-highest per capita income among localities in Japan, with the manufacturing industry playing a key role in the local economy.

At the conference, business representatives of Tochighi Prefecture introduced their strengths in fields such as high-tech agriculture, processing and manufacturing industry, and electronics. These are all areas that Việt Nam pays special attention to when attracting investment. Enterprises also highly appreciated Việt Nam's increasingly improved business and investment environment.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính expressed his impression of the high-level development of Tochigi Prefecture in the direction of modernity and sustainability, focusing on harmonious development between economy, society and the environment.

He said local relations between the two countries are important pillars, making effective contributions to general cooperation between the two countries.

Currently, there are 22 Tochigi enterprises investing in Việt Nam, while the Vietnamese are forming currently the largest expat community in Tochigi Prefecture with 8,000 people. The Governor of Tochigi Prefecture has many times come to Việt Nam to promote investment and trade promotion between businesses of the two sides.

The Prime Minister stated that Vietnamese and Japanese businesses are embracing great cooperation opportunities. Japan is the largest ODA supplier to Việt Nam (about US$27 billion), the second-largest partner in FDI ($64 billion), the third-largest partner in tourism, and the fourth largest trading partner (two-way turnover reached about $40 billion/year).

The Prime Minister emphasised Việt Nam's advantages in attracting investment such as political stability; strong implementation of strategic breakthroughs in institutional improvement, administrative reform, human resource quality improvement and infrastructure development. He also highly appreciated Japanese businesses for long-term investment, for always accompanying Việt Nam in difficult times, such as the pandemic, natural disasters and global economic fluctuations.

Prime Minister Chính affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always understands and is willing to seek solutions to work with businesses to solve difficulties and challenges, including temporary difficulties caused by COVID-19.

Expressing his hope that Tochigi Prefecture would continue to establish relations and promote cooperation with many localities in Việt Nam, the Prime Minister affirmed that the Vietnamese Government attaches great importance to and will create the most favourable conditions for the prefecture to strengthen cooperation with localities of Việt Nam.

“I hope you come to Việt Nam to see with your own eyes the facts that I have just said. The most important thing is that we have mutual trust, understanding and respect to cooperate in the spirit of harmonised benefits and shared risks," Chính said.

Earlier the same day, Prime Minister Chính had a meeting with Governor of Tochigi Prefecture Fukuda Tomikazu, where he welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Vĩnh Phúc Province of Việt Nam and Tochigi Prefecture on the occasion of his Japan visit, thus making practical contributions to the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

He thanked Governor Fukuda and Tochigi prefecture's administration for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living and working in the locality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PM suggested Tochigi Prefecture expand exchanges and cooperation with Vietnamese localities, particularly in fields such as medical equipment production, manufacturing and processing and agriculture. — VNS