Tokyo (VNA) – Prime MinisterPham Minh Chinh received the governors of the Japanese prefectures of Aichi,Tochigi, Niigata, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi in Tokyo on December 17 as part ofhis trip to attend the CommemorativeSummit for the 50th Year of ASEAN - Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

At themeetings, PM Chinh expressed his delight at the progress of the Vietnam - Japanmultifaceted relations, including the breakthrough development of locality-to-localitycooperation, noting that one of the main purposes of this trip is to promote this kind of ties in the spirit of mutual benefits.

He highly valued the results of theJapanese prefectures’ partnerships with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities,as well as the support from the governors and their prefectures’administrations for cooperation with Vietnam.

He called on the governors to enhanceties with Vietnam, including such localities as Thai Binh, Khanh Hoa, HaiDuong, and Can Tho that also join the Vietnamese delegation to Japan this time,to tap into existing potential by increasing all-level delegation exchanges,investment, human resources training, and educational connections.

The Government leader asked them tocontinue providing optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community tocontribute more to the development of their prefectures along with the two countries’friendship.

Hailing the upgrade of the countries’relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in November, the Japanesegovernors spoke highly of Vietnamese people’s contributions to localsocio-economic development. They expressed their hope to welcome moreVietnamese coming to study and work in their localities and affirmed thereadiness to create more favourable conditions for the community to furtherintegrate into the local society.

Aichi Governor OmuraHideaki voiced his wish to further step up substantive cooperation withVietnamese localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Phuc province, viamutual visits, economic and investment links, and cultural exchanges.

He noted that more than 200businesses of Aichi are investing in Vietnam, and theprefecture is accommodating the biggest number of Vietnamese people in Japan (53,000).Besides, Aichi in coordination with HCM City has frequently held the VietnamFestival to help popularise Vietnamese images in the prefecture and foster thetwo countries’ cultural and tourism ties.

PM Chinh asked Omura, with Aichi’s strengthin industry, to assist Vietnam to carry out the industrialisation andmodernisation strategy as pledged by Japanese PM Kishida Fumio, double thenumber of Aichi businesses in Vietnam to 400 after 10 years, and promote theorganisation of the cherry blossom festival in HCM City.

At another meeting, Tochigi Governor FukudaTomikazu informed about his prefecture’s cooperation agreement with theVietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, which aims to boost investment partnerships,and its efforts to enhance educational and tourism collaboration with Vietnam.He also voiced his wish to strengthen cooperation with Vinh Phuc province onthe basis of their signed agreement.

PM Chinh suggest Fukuda step uppartnerships in the areas Tochigi holds strength such as digital transformation,labour, education, tourism, and training. He also called on local authoritiesto create conditions for Vietnam’s FPT company to operate effectively in theprefecture.

Meanwhile, Niigata GovernorHanazumi Hideyo highlighted his prefecture’s deals on investment, trade, andtourism cooperation with Thanh Hoa and Vinh Long provinces, pledging toencourage more Niigata businesses to invest in Vietnam.

PM Chinhappreciated the governor’s efforts to reinforce connections between Niigata and Vietnam while applaudingthe successful investments and operation expansion in educational and food sectorsby many companies from the prefecture in the Southeast Asian country.

Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji noted his prefecture’s organisation ofregular cultural, investment, trade, tourism, and labour cooperation events betweenthe two countries. Twenty-four businesses from Kanagawa have invested in Vietnamwhile 17 others from the country have poured investment into the prefecture.

Kuroiwa said he hopes to continueenhancing substantive relations with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and the localitiesKanagawa has established ties with like Hanoi, HCM City, Hung Yen, Quang Ninh,Can Tho, and Lang Son, and foster Kanagawa businesses’ tourism ties with and investmentin Vietnam in the areas of its strength such as manufacturing, supportingindustries, environment, digital transformation, green transition, energy, andhealth care.

Highly valuing the prefecture’shealthcare achievements, PM Chinh suggested the governor consider establishinga centre for population ageing research at the Vietnam National InnovationCentre to devise policies in response to this issue./.