Vietnam-Japan cooperation is currently at its best stage of development in the history of the two countries’ relations. Both sides have established deep political trust, effective cooperation, and substantial collaboration in all fields, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told the “Meet Japan 2023” conference held on November 2 in Hanoi.

Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, the Organizing Committee for the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic relations, and Japanese agencies and organizations, the conference was expected to be a good opportunity for the leaders of Japanese representative agencies and the Japanese business community in Vietnam to meet and exchange, understand, and promote potential areas of cooperation with leaders and representatives from Vietnam’s cities and provinces and businesses.

This year’s conference is part of a series of activities held annually by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help localities enhance international integration and attract external resources for socio-economic development. It was attended by approximately 900 delegates from within and outside of Vietnam, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Investment Agency at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, provincial leaders, departments, and agencies from all 63 cities and provinces nationwide, as well as numerous Vietnamese businesses.

Vietnam had the honor of being the destination for the first official foreign visits by Japanese Prime Ministers, such as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2013 and Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide in 2020, Minister Son told the gathering. In particular, he went on, the visit by the Japanese Crown Prince and Princess to Vietnam from September 20-25, 2023, contributed significantly to enhancing mutual understanding and the close affection between the people of the two countries, thereby promoting the development of the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership to new heights.

The Minister emphasized that economic, trade, and investment cooperation are bright spots in the relationship. In economic cooperation, Japan has long been Vietnam’s leading partner, ranking first in ODA, second in labor exports, third in investment and tourism, and fourth in trade. According to research by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), 70 per cent of Japanese businesses investing in and operating in Vietnam intend to continue and expand their activities in the country, and 88 per cent of Japanese businesses expect revenue in Vietnam to increase in the future.

Along with general trends in the development of friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, exchanges and cooperation between localities in the two countries have seen strong and substantial development recently. Localities have established approximately 100 relationships and signed over 110 cooperative agreements in various fields, such as investment, trade, labor exports, human resources training, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges. Vibrant and in-depth exchanges and delegations between local leaders in the two countries have been one of the most important factors in enhancing cooperation in investment, trade, labor exports, and people-to-people exchanges.

Over the past five years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representatives in Japan have actively helped Vietnamese localities in connecting with Japanese partners. On average, they have facilitated 15-20 delegations of provincial and central city leaders to visit and work in Japan, with several regions participating directly in the Vietnam Local Promotion Program. These efforts have led to the promotion of practical Vietnam-Japan cooperation projects. In 2023, as part of commemorating the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assisted various localities, including Thanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, and Hung Yen provinces, in organizing direct engagement activities with Japanese partners.

In his speech at the Opening Session, H.E. Yamada Takio, Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, expressed his delight at attending the “Meet Japan 2023” conference, which had the largest number of delegates from both countries since the first edition in 2017, demonstrating the high level of interest in Japan and Vietnam. Ambassador Takio also emphasized that 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam, signifying a new milestone in the cooperative relationship between the two countries. The two are deeply cooperating in various areas such as political security, economics, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges, truly becoming comprehensive strategic partners.

Therefore, the Ambassador hopes to see greater cooperation between Japanese localities and Vietnamese cities and provinces, and expects that the “Meet Japan” conference will be a significant step in promoting the exchange of localities in the two countries to a new phase.

In addition to a space displaying typical Vietnamese and Japanese products, three specialized sessions on current issues of mutual interest were held during the conference, including: (i) Strengthening trade and investment; (ii) Education, training, and human resources cooperation; and (iii) Cultural and tourism development cooperation. Focus was also placed on discussing prominent areas of cooperation, including investment, trade, agriculture, digital transformation, smart cities, local cooperation, and education and training.

On the same afternoon, event organizers arranged hundreds of sideline working meetings (G2G and G2B) between leaders and businesses from Vietnamese localities and the Japanese Ambassador and leaders from Japanese partner agencies and businesses. This was an important opportunity for direct exchanges, where both sides shared results in cooperation to be promoted, obstacles to be overcome, and, especially, specific and practical cooperation ideas for a new phase of cooperation.