Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam plays an important role in the political and economicrelations with Japan, so the two sides should further promote reciprocaleconomic links and people-to-people exchange, a Japanese expert has said.

Prof.Go Ito from Meji University made the remark during a recent interview grantedto Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Japan on the occasion of the Statevisit by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to Japan.

Itopointed out highlights in the bilateral relations, saying that both sides sharecommon concern about security challenges, especially navigation security,safety and freedom in the East Sea.

Thenumber of Vietnamese students pursuing their study in Japan is rapidly increasing,contributing to promoting not only education and training cooperation but alsoculture exchange between the two countries, thus pushing their political andeconomic ties.

The people-to-people exchange is the origin of all relations, and thanks tothis, the Vietnam-Japan relationship will be deepened in the future, heaffirmed.

Regarding Vietnam’s investment market, Ito said Vietnam becomes a partnercountry for Japan’s direct investment and trade activities.

Henoted that in the last two decades, Vietnam has performed domestic economicreform, while Japan also highly values high-quality labour forces, adding thatthis helps promote economic development in the two countries.

Goods produced in Vietnam are exported to not only markets in Southeast Asiaand South Asia but also to greater markets such as Japan and the US.

Japanhas poured direct investment into motorbike manufacturing and building ofoffices in Vietnam, he said, noting that if his country increases itsinvestment in infrastructure in Vietnam, the bilateral relations will be furthertightened.

Japanese firms will benefit more from the process, while Vietnamese youths willhave the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and techniques from Japan.

The expert, however, also noted that the two countries’ cooperation has not yetmatched their potential as the operation scale of Japanese firms in Vietnamremains limited.

Talking about the visit of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to Japan, Itosaid this is an important milestone, serving as a starting point for furtherstrengthening the bilateral cooperation across fields in the future. -VNA