Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân (right) held talks with Japanese Crown Prince Akishino during his official visit to Việt Nam on Thursday. —VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Japan have a reliable and close-knit partnership, Japanese Crown Prince Akishino during his talks with Vietnamese Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân on Thursday.

Welcoming the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan to Việt Nam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Japan ties, Vice President Xuân said that their visit would be a milestone for mutual understanding and friendship, thereby improving the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries. 

Việt Nam and Japan have had people exchanges since the 8th century, and robust trade activities in the 16th and 17th centuries. 

The Vietnamese leader also expressed her appreciation towards the Japanese royal family, government and people for their support for Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, as well as the Vietnamese community of nearly 500,000 people in Japan. 

Noting the achievements of bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, culture, tourism and people exchanges, she hoped that this collaboration would be extended to other areas such as digital transformation, green growth, food and energy security. 

The Japanese Crown Prince praised the Southeast Asian country’s growth as well as the Vietnamese community’s contributions to Japan’s development. 

Noting that there is an increasing number of Japanese people who wish to study the Vietnamese language, Crown Prince Akishino believed that cultural exchanges lead to better mutual understanding, which will be the foundation to promote Việt Nam-Japan relations to a higher level. 

He would also make more efforts for the cooperation and friendship between the two countries in the future. 

Crown Princess Kiko added that she wishes to promote cooperation and share experiences with Việt Nam in terms of tuberculosis prevention, exchanges between women of the two countries, as well as in education and healthcare. 

Vice President Xuân also sent her regards to Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, and members of the Japanese royal family.

Following the talks, Vice President Xuân and Japan’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess paid a visit to late President Hồ Chí Minh’s residence in the presidential palace. 

A reception was held later on the same day to welcome the royal couple and delegation. — VNS