TOKYO — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm met Chairwoman of the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Obuchi Yuko and its 20 key leaders in Tokyo on Monday, as part of his official Japan visit.

The alliance leaders included Minister of Finance Katayama Satsuki, Minister of Agriculture Takebe Arata and other Japanese lawmakers. 

General Secretary and President Lâm praised the alliance’s role in and active contributions to building political trust, boosting cooperation between the two parliaments as well as locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges.

He lauded generations of alliance leaders, especially its former Chairman Nikai Toshihiro and Special Advisor Takebe Tsutomu, for decades of contributions to bilateral ties. He said he is confident that the alliance under Obuchi Yuko will keep its tradition of friendship and deepen the Việt Nam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The top Vietnamese leader suggested the alliance keep serving as a bridge, push delegation exchanges between parliamentary leaders, specialised agencies and lawmakers, especially young and female ones; share legislative and institutional improvement experience; and boost economic, investment, science-technology and quality workforce cooperation, as well as locality-to-locality ties. He also urged Japanese lawmakers to continue supporting the nearly 700,000-strong Vietnamese community in Japan, calling it a solid social foundation for bilateral ties.

Obuchi, ministers and key alliance members welcomed General Secretary and President Lâm's first official Japan visit in his new role and called it an important milestone that lifts ties to a new height. She praised Việt Nam’s socio-economic development and the strong trajectory of bilateral ties.

Thanking Vietnamese leaders for hosting alliance members on their recent Việt Nam visits, Obuchi said the alliance will keep promoting parliamentary exchanges, mutual understanding and trust, and do its utmost to lift relations through cooperation in economy, digital transformation, green transition, investment and workforce, as well as locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges.

Alliance members welcomed Việt Nam’s attendance at the International Horticultural Expo 2027, adding that they will further support cooperation in areas of strength and complementary need, including economy, trade, agriculture, farm produce processing and export, and cybersecurity. They said they want stronger exchanges with the Việt Nam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group to drive bilateral ties forward. — VNA/VNS