Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (R) and Governor of Japan’s Gunma prefecture Yamamoto Ichita. VNA photo

HÀ NỘI - Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính hailed the ongoing visit by Governor of Japan’s Gunma prefecture Yamamoto Ichita on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Japan diplomatic ties this year as an important milestone during a reception in Hà Nội on October 27.

Both sides shared the view that the bilateral extensive strategic partnership is in a strong and comprehensive development phase with high political trust. Japan is now the top economic partner, the biggest supplier of official development assistance (ODA), the second largest partner in labour, the third biggest partner in investment and tourism, and the fourth biggest in trade of Việt Nam.

Around 100 relationships between Vietnamese and Japanese localities have been established. At present, there are about 500,000 Vietnamese people in Japan, making them the second largest foreign community in the country and making practical contributions to its socio-economic development.

Since early this year, both sides have arranged mutual visits and held celebration activities, contributing to deepening the friendship and mutual understanding between their people.

PM Chính affirmed that the Vietnamese Government attached great importance to enhancing cooperation, considering it a substantial and effective channel to strengthen collaboration in investment, trade, labour and people-to-people exchange.

He hailed the Governor’s determination, efforts and initiatives to boost ties with Việt Nam, including holding traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations, the Việt Nam festivals in Gunma, symphony orchestra exchanges, implementing memoranda of understanding on cooperation with Vietnamese agencies and various policies in support of around 12,000 Vietnamese living in the prefecture, and encouraging local enterprises to expand their operations in Việt Nam.

He suggested that in the coming time, the Gunma authorities and the Governor continue stepping up the exchange of delegations, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and tourism cooperation with Việt Nam. This includes holding commemorative events and festivals both in the prefecture and in Việt Nam, pushing forward local investments in Việt Nam, especially in areas of their strength such as digital transformation, energy transition, high-tech agriculture, manufacturing and processing, and support industries.

The Vietnamese Government would be ready to create favourable conditions for cooperation between Gunma and Vietnamese localities, he said, adding that Việt Nam would continue improving the business environment by making it more stable, transparent and healthy; reforming administrative procedures, fine-tuning mechanisms and policies, and improving strategic infrastructure.

Ichita, for his part, said via the visit, he wished to further promote economic ties and human resources training cooperation with Việt Nam.

He added that he was accompanied by a delegation of 29 businesses which expressed their appreciation for Việt Nam's business environment. They plan to invest a total of 7.7 billion JPY (US$51.3 million) in Việt Nam in the near future.

In the years to come, there would be continued efforts to encourage firms from Gunma to invest in Việt Nam, as well as welcome Vietnamese enterprises to Gunma, particularly in the fields of information technology and digital transformation. Gunma also planned to receive more Vietnamese interns and workers, especially in the nursing field, he said, affirming his commitment to contributing to joint work between Gunma and Việt Nam, particularly in areas suggested by the PM.

Twelve businesses from the prefecture have already invested in Việt Nam, primarily in industries such as plastics and transportation equipment. The Vietnamese community living there counts around 12,000 people, the largest foreign community in the prefecture. VNA/VNS