Nagasaki (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of the NA met with staff of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan as part of their official visit to the Northeastern Asian country.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, the Vietnamese community in Japan currently has more than 600,000 people who are living and working in all 47 prefectures and cities of Japan. It is the second largest foreign community in the country. There are now over 50 associations of Vietnamese people in Japan, which are working as important bridges in Vietnam – Japan relations.

Representatives of associations and the Vietnamese community expressed their hope that Vietnam will promote legal support for Vietnamese people abroad, step up digital transformation, and improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises in Japan.

Man said that his visit aims to continue implementing the Party's foreign policy of proactively and actively consolidating and expanding the foundation of political relations, and promoting effective and substantive cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in various fields.

Informing participants about the domestic situation, the NA leader said that although the country has faced many difficulties and challenges in 2024, especially the heavy losses in human lives and property caused by typhoon Yagi, the macro-economy has been stabilised, inflation has been controlled, and social security has been ensured.

According to the top legislator, Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth is estimated at 7% for the whole year, 15/15 socio-economic targets are achieved and exceeded. Foreign affairs have been promoted. Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena have been raised. The work of preventing and combating corruption, waste and negative phenomena has been given attention and there are no forbidden areas. Currently, the country is actively making preparations to successfully organise the 14th National Party Congress, which is also the beginning of a new era, an era of national development.

However, he also pointed out that the country is facing three bottlenecks in institutions, infrastructure and human resources. Affirming that the NA is focusing on resolving institutional bottlenecks, Man said that at the recent 8th session, the legislature passed 18 laws and 21 resolutions, including the Law on Public Investment (amended), "one law amending four laws" on investment, "one law amending nine laws" on finance and budget. The NA also approved resolutions on the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project with a total capital of about 67 billion USD and restarting the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project.

The NA Chairman acknowledged and commended the achievements of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka in recent times when it has a small workforce but has to manage a large area. He hoped that the officials and staff of the Consulate General would continue to promote the spirit of solidarity, make efforts, and overcome difficulties to successfully complete assigned tasks, and meet increasingly high requirements in the period of deep international integration.

Appreciating the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Japan in recent times, Man hoped that the community would continue to promote the spirit of solidarity, mutual support, and comply with the laws of the host country. He emphasised that the consistent policy of the Party and State is always to care for the Vietnamese community abroad - an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation.

Also on the morning of December 7, the top lawmaker, his spouse, and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA laid a wreath in memory of the victims of the Nagasaki atomic bomb at the Peace Park and visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.

After visiting the exhibition spaces, Man wrote in the guestbook: "Vietnam is a peace-loving nation and always wishes that peoples around the world will work together towards peace, prosperity, and development together"./.