State President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (right) meets Governor of Gunma prefecture of Japan Yamamoto Ichita on Thursday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — State President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Thursday hosted a reception for Governor of Gunma prefecture of Japan Yamamoto Ichita who is on a working visit to Việt Nam.

During the meeting, the leader spotlighted the strong and comprehensive development of the Việt Nam – Japan extensive strategic partnership with high political trust, saying that regular high-level delegation exchanges, economic-investment-trade and defence cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides have been further promoted.

Japan continues to be among Việt Nam’s top economic partners, the biggest ODA provider, the third largest investor and the fourth trade partner of Việt Nam, the President said, noting that cooperation in tourism, labour, human resources training, and local cooperation between the two countries have been also further strengthened.

Cooperation between Việt Nam and Gunma Prefecture, especially in economic, investment bond and people-to-people exchanges, have been being actively developed, he added.

President Phúc spoke highly of the efforts by Governor Ichita in promoting relations with Việt Nam over the past time, particularly in organising Vietnamese festivals in the Japanese locality and helping the Vietnamese community there overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested businesses of Gunma pour more investment into Việt Nam, especially in high-tech green agriculture, processing and manufacturing industries, supporting industry, digital technology and artificial intelligence.

The two sides should expand human resources cooperation, he said, calling on the Japanese locality to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, work and study in the prefecture.

For his part, Ichita said he will do his utmost to contribute to further promoting the Việt Nam – Japan relations, especially economic cooperation between Gunma and Vietnamese localities.

According to Ichita, business delegations of Gunma will visit Việt Nam to seek investment opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation in the field of digital and information technology, and manufacturing technology. — VNS