Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long (right) and Takebe Tsutomu, Special Advisor of the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance at the meeting in Hà Nội on March 13. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long hosted a reception in Hà Nội on Thursday for Takebe Tsutomu, Special Advisor of the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, during which they agreed to continue developing the Việt Nam-Japan University (VJU) – an iconic project for the two countries’ ties.

Long thanked Takebe for his contributions and dedication to promoting the Việt Nam-Japan friendship and cooperation.

He noted with pleasure that the bilateral relationship has developed comprehensively, with growing political trust and economic cooperation as the main pillar. The Vietnamese community in Japan, numbering around 600,000, and over 23,000 Japanese people in Vietnam have made positive contributions to the socio-economic development of both countries, while also serving as bridges to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples.

Expressing his impression of Việt Nam's development, Takebe proposed several specific measures to promote the bilateral friendship and cooperation, including the development of the Việt Nam-Japan University.

He stated that the university aims to become a prestigious research-oriented university in Asia, and train high-quality human resources with practical skills that meet the needs of society. It plans to open a high-quality vocational training institute and collaborate with major Japanese corporations to provide training in semiconductors and information technology.

Takebe showed his hope that Deputy PM Long will support and promote the development of the university, affirming the Japanese government is highly interested in this project and aims to train human resources for the development of not only the countries but also the region and the world.

Acknowledging Takebe's proposals, Long emphasised that human resources development is one of the three strategic breakthroughs of Việt Nam.

Sharing that Việt Namis striving for a GDP growth rate of at least 8 per cent in 2025 and double-digit growth in the 2026-30 period, the Deputy PM said to achieve these goals, Việt Nam views people as the most important development resource.

As traditional development drivers are limited and gradually being replaced by new ones, Việt Nam relies primarily on its internal resources while also seeking resources through international cooperation, he stressed.

Regarding the VJU project, he stated that continuing to promote this project is a right direction, and relevant agencies are working to advance it. — VNA/VNS