Representatives of Thừa Thiên Huế Province and Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, agree to boost co-operation and friendship ties between two localities after completing a 10-year deal (2013-23). — Photo courtesy of Ngọc Hiếu

THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — Kyoto Prefecture, Japan and the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế agreed to boost tourism promotion, education, people to people exchange programmes, heritage conservation, and pedestrian and bicycle zone management in the coming years, deepening the strong ties established between the two localities over past 10 years.

The two urban areas, which inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) after the friendship deal in 2013, joined hands in the development of destinations and human resources on tourism promotion, reserving education programmes for school and university students from Huế in Kyoto, and establishing working team visits between the two localities.

Chairman of Thừa Thiên-Huế People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Phương stressed that the diplomatic ties between Kyoto and Huế had been well developed over the past decade.

“The province would promote co-operation activities and programmes with Japanese partners from Kyoto in education, heritage preservation, tourism, trade and investment, urban planning and infrastructure,” Phương said.

“The two localities had promoted ties in environment, community and experience sharing in education, and Kyoto had been hosting students and lecturers in different training courses in the 10-year co-operation deal.”

Governor of Kyoto, Takatoshi Nishikawa committed to have more activities programmes supporting Thừa Thiên-Huế Province in trade, education, and tourism.

A man runs in a pedestrian zone along the Hương River bank in Huế City. Thừa Thiên Huế Province and Kyoto Prefecture will promote tourism and investment between the two localities. — VNS Photo Công Thành

He expected the friendship deal would be further strengthened for continued growth in the special ties between the two sides.

On the occasion, Mitani Sangyo company from Japan began a survey trip to explore investment opportunities in the province in terms of chemicals, functional food, software and electronic facilities production.

Earlier, the Embassy of Japan in Việt Nam and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented six electric trucks to the Huế City People's Committee to use for waste collection, helping the green transformation and carbon and methane reduction of the transport sector.

The central province has been closely cooperating with international organisations and partners in boosting 'green' traffic by encouraging electric vehicles in the Master Plan 2021-30.

An innovative Public Bike-Sharing (PBS) scheme had been launched in Huế city as part of developing a bicycle transportation plan, in cooperation with the International Co-operation Agency of Germany (GIZ) and Vietsoftpro, for 2021-2026 that mobilises private investment for bike-sharing public services. — VNS