NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân (R) receives  Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, headed by its Governor, Masaaki Osawa in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly of Việt Nam will do its best to promote relations between Việt Nam and Japan in all fields, said NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân.

She made the statement while receiving a delegation from Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, headed by its Governor, Masaaki Osawa, in Hà Nội on Thursday.

Ngân proposed to increase ties between Vietnamese and Japanese lawmakers and said that the two countries’ friendship parliamentarians’ groups should increase delegation exchanges among their localities.

She praised the visit to Việt Nam to seek co-operation and investment opportunities by Gunma parliamentarians and businesses, saying that it will contribute to promoting the friendship and relations between the two countries.

Governor Masaaki Osawa discussed his many activities during the visit, including meetings between Gunma businesses and parliamentarians with representatives of many localities and relevant ministries and agencies of Việt Nam.

The prefecture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair of Việt Nam and worked with HCM City authorities to boost co-operation between businesses of the two localities, he said.

In 2016, seven businesses from Gunma invested and established business in Việt Nam, bringing its total number of businesses in Việt Nam to 27.

Deputy PM welcomes US public policy professor

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ has lauded the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) for boosting ties with Việt Nam in policymaking, administrative reform, education and personnel training.

During a reception in Hà Nội on Thursday for Rector of the school Prof. John D. Graham, Huệ welcomed his visit, which was initiated by the Vietnam Initiative Group – a network of Vietnamese scholars worldwide in the fields of economy, finance and policy.

He told his guest that Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc recently held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump and affirmed that Việt Nam highly values the continued development of comprehensive partnership with the US.

The host urged the professor and SPEA to continue partnering with the Vietnamese Government in the near future, especially sharing information on the US’ political system and experience in legislation and public policy building and enforcement, and connecting prestigious scholars, policy advisors and research institutes from the US and the world with Việt Nam.

Graham, for his part, shared his experience in public policy and discussed Việt Nam-US ties in the President Trump landscape.

He said his visit is meant to share experiences gained by the US and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries in evaluating bills, budget and policies with Việt Nam, contributing to fine-tuning Việt Nam’s finance-budget policies.

Talking about a plan to open a Việt Nam-US Research Institute at the SPEA, he wished that the Vietnamese Government will back the project to contribute to the development of bilateral ties. — VNS