Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (R) meets with Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji on November 15 evening in Hanoi. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính called on Kanagawa prefecture of Japan to strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese localities during a meeting with its governor Kuroiwa Yuji on November 15 evening in Hà Nội.

The Vietnamese government leader thanked the Japanese official for his efforts to foster cooperation and exchanges between Kanagawa and Việt Nam, expressing his belief that Kuroiwa’s visit will further strengthen and concretise cooperation between the two sides, contributing to the robust, substantive, and effective development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Japan across fields.

He proposed enhancing delegation exchanges and local partnerships between the two sides through flexible approaches and urged Kanagawa to foster practical and effective cooperation with Vietnamese provinces and cities; encourage its businesses to invest in Việt Nam; and boost bilateral trade, including facilitating the export of Vietnamese farm produce to Japan.

Chính also called for strengthened collaboration in human resources, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, along with continued support to ensure favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the Japanese locality.

Applauding the signing of a memorandum of understanding on healthcare cooperation between Việt Nam’s Ministry of Health and Kanagawa authorities, he suggested the Japanese locality expand cooperation and share its experiences in socio-economic development, health care, and addressing population aging challenges.

Kuroiwa, who was honoured with Việt Nam’s Friendship Order and also led delegations of Kanagawa businesses to Việt Nam seven times, affirmed his commitment to further promoting collaborative activities, especially in areas proposed by the Vietnamese PM.

He said during his visit, he met with officials from ministries, sectors, and localities of Việt Nam, signed an MoU on cooperation with the ministry, held an investment seminar on IT cooperation in Hồ Chí Minh City, organised a Kanagawa education festival in central Đà Nẵng city, and hosted a cultural festival in Hà Nội.

Kanagawa, one of Japan's economic hubs, excels in heavy industry, trade, services, hi-tech agriculture, and health care. Nearly 40 businesses from the prefecture are investing in Việt Nam, while it hosts investments from about 20 Vietnamese companies. Kanagawa is also among the top five Japanese localities recording the largest Vietnamese communities with nearly 30,000 residents. VNS