Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Organisation Commission Lê Minh Hưng (left) and Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Ito Naoki at their meeting in Hà Nội on August 5. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of its Organisation Commission Lê Minh Hưng hosted a reception in Hà Nội on Tuesday for Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Ito Naoki.

Hưng, who is Chairman of the Việt Nam–Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group (VJPFG), expressed his delight at the substantive, effective and comprehensive development of Việt Nam–Japan ties across multiple areas, with growing political trust and increasingly enhanced high-level exchanges and meetings. He emphasised that Japan remains a top economic partner of Việt Nam, its largest provider of ODA and labour cooperation, third-largest investor and source of tourist arrivals, and fourth-largest trading partner.

The official noted that locality-to-locality collaboration, cultural exchanges, human resource connectivity, and people-to-people ties have become increasingly close and effective. Hưng also stressed that the successful visit to Việt Nam by Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and his spouse in April opened new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, especially in science and technology, high-quality human resource training, and high-tech investment in agriculture, green transition, energy transition, and innovation.

For his part, Ito expressed sincere thanks to Hưng for the warm reception and took this occasion to extend condolences to the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam over losses in the recent boat capsizing in Hạ Long Bay and floods and natural disasters in Nghệ An, Sơn La, and Điện Biên provinces.

The ambassador praised Việt Nam's initial achievements in streamlining its political apparatus and reorganising provincial-level administrative units, expressing his confidence that these reforms would help remove institutional bottlenecks and create momentum for rapid, sustainable development in the coming period.

At the meeting, the two sides also discussed orientations to enhance cooperation in all fields, including economy–trade, defence–security, science–technology, energy, high-tech agriculture, strategic-level cadre training, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

They also agreed to further strengthen exchanges between the two respective parliamentary friendship groups through flexible and diverse forms, thereby enhancing cooperation between the two legislative bodies and making practical contributions to the overall Việt Nam–Japan relationship.

Hưng affirmed Việt Nam's strong reform efforts and its determination to realise the two centenary goals set by the 13th National Party Congress. He expressed his hope that Japan and other partners would continue to accompany Việt Nam on its development journey.

Ito reiterated Japan’s desire and readiness to stand alongside Việt Nam in the development process ahead and pledged to do his utmost to further advance the bilateral relations. — VNA/VNS