Local and business cooperation is a unique feature of Vietnam-Japan relations.

On the morning of November 25, in Quang Ninh province, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the first Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum with the theme "Accompanying comprehensive development - Creating a sustainable future".

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Also attending were Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs ; leaders of central ministries and branches; Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki; leaders of localities of Vietnam and Japan. The forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam.

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung stated that the first Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum is the first large-scale event to strengthen connectivity between Vietnamese and Japanese localities, carried out under the agreement between the two Prime Ministers during the Japanese Prime Minister's official visit to Vietnam in April 2025.

The forum brings a new mindset, new vitality, new expectations, opening up a larger, more flexible and more effective space for cooperation between Vietnamese localities and enterprises with Japanese partners in the new development era, actively contributing to the implementation of Resolution 59 of the Politburo on international integration.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders and delegates attending the Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

On this occasion, the Minister thanked Japan for its companionship, support and assistance to Vietnam throughout its development journey, demonstrated through the presence of Japanese works and projects in most provinces and cities of Vietnam, which have contributed practically to improving the quality of people's lives, enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese localities, and contributing to building a solid foundation for Vietnam to achieve its growth targets and enter a new era of development.

The Minister stated that the Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation continues to be a bright spot and a model in bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and international partners. In foreign policy, Vietnam consistently considers Japan a leading and long-term strategic partner, a trustworthy and sincere friend accompanying in the new era. Strong local development is one of the most practical and sustainable ways to bring prosperity to the country.

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung speaks at the Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes and hopes that the localities of the two countries will participate more proactively and actively in the process of concretizing and deepening the content of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework between Vietnam and Japan, turning commitments and agreements into specific projects, works and programs, so that the localities themselves will be the direct beneficiaries of the achievements of the development of Vietnam-Japan relations, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries.

As the spirit of the famous quote by Japanese thinker Yoshida Shoin that the Minister is very fond of: "When discussing big things, we must start from our own land and people - that is the most solid and sustainable path", the Minister believes and hopes that this Forum will be a place for localities and businesses of the two countries to exchange frankly and practically, learn about the advantages, potentials and strengths of each side, thereby connecting and building many new projects, cooperation opportunities, as well as new relationships, suitable for the interests of both sides, especially in the fields of investment, trade, labor, tourism, culture, science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, response to climate change, population aging issues...

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki read the Japanese Prime Minister's congratulatory message to the Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki read the congratulatory message of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae: Accordingly, the Prime Minister sent his most sincere congratulations to the first Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum, which was solemnly held. The Prime Minister expressed his respect for your efforts; welcomed the upgrading of the relationship between Japan and Vietnam to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in 2023, and the growing cooperation in all areas such as people-to-people exchange, economy, culture, and security. The Prime Minister also learned that more than 100 cooperation documents have been signed in the field of exchange between localities.

View of the Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae affirmed that Japan will continue to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the reform process to achieve further economic growth; he is confident that the experience and know-how that Japanese local governments have painstakingly cultivated over many years in areas such as regional revitalization, industrial promotion, tourism development and human resource training will become a strength for Vietnam.

The vitality of localities is the vitality of the nation. The dynamism and youthful energy of Vietnamese localities are expected to bring new perspectives and encouragement to Japanese localities, and at the same time contribute to Japan's own local revitalization.

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae believes that we can create a sustainable future together in the spirit of “Co-creation”. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that through this forum, cooperation between Japan and Vietnam will be further deepened.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with Japanese delegates attending the Forum. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Speaking at the Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed General Secretary To Lam's warm regards and congratulations to the Forum, representatives of ministries, branches, localities and businesses of the two countries. The Prime Minister thanked General Secretary To Lam for his attention and direction, and thanked Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae for sending condolences and sharing the recent natural disasters in Vietnam. This is the first large-scale event to promote local cooperation between Vietnam and Japan and is an important step to continue implementing the agreement between the two countries during the official visit to Vietnam by former Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru in April this year.

The Prime Minister emphasized that we meet to unite, have common strength; exchange common cooperation for common benefits; we share, consolidate and strengthen the trust of the two countries, people and businesses. The Prime Minister welcomed the theme of the Forum "Accompanying comprehensive development - Creating a sustainable future" which is very practical and strategic, clearly demonstrating the spirit of win-win cooperation, accompanying development, creating a future for peace, stability and prosperity of both countries. Cooperate to make the relationship between the two countries "blossom and bear fruit"; demonstrate practicality and effectiveness.

Regarding the Vietnam-Japan cooperation relationship, the Prime Minister stated that, with a history of more than 1,300 years of people-to-people exchange and more than half a century of establishing diplomatic relations (since 1973), Vietnam and Japan have together cultivated a friendly and cooperative relationship that is increasingly trustworthy, comprehensive, substantive and effective. Up to now, Japan has become Vietnam's leading economic cooperation partner, ranking first in ODA and labor cooperation, third in investment and fourth in trade and tourism.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister sincerely thanked and highly appreciated the valuable contributions of Japanese localities and enterprises to the above-mentioned cooperation results, as well as to the socio-economic development of Vietnam in recent times.

It can be affirmed that local cooperation and business cooperation are the unique features of the Vietnam-Japan relationship, a practical and effective connection channel, contributing to the implementation and concretization of the agreement between the two countries' senior leaders. In addition to the important results achieved in recent times, we all agree that the space and potential for cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is still very large. To contribute to further exploiting this space, and at the same time improving the quality and effectiveness of cooperation between the business community and localities of the two countries, the Prime Minister proposed and suggested 5 major orientations for the two sides to strengthen cooperation, exchange and discussion at this Forum as follows:

Be proactive, creative, and promote the potentials and complementary factors between the two countries' localities to promote local cooperation on the principle of "mutual benefit", "what one side needs, the other side has", for common prosperity. Vietnam has localities that need capital, technology, and underdeveloped supporting industries, etc., while Japan also has localities that are facing problems of labor shortage, aging population, and lack of growth momentum, etc.

Therefore, the Prime Minister suggested that localities focus on discussing their potentials, strengths, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages. Each locality attending today's Forum will have a chance to speak; let's identify 1-2 priority and spearhead areas of our locality, and strive to propose 2-3 specific cooperation initiatives/projects that can be implemented in the next 1-2 years.

Identifying “taking businesses and people as the center, subject, goal, driving force and main resource of cooperation”, at this Forum, in addition to localities, there are also hundreds of businesses from both countries that are trying to find opportunities to connect and trade. Therefore, the Prime Minister suggested that localities from both countries focus on listening to the opinions of businesses to proactively have preferential policies, creating a favorable environment for businesses from both countries to connect and invest, while ensuring that people must be the main beneficiaries of cooperation in the spirit of 3 more: “better jobs, higher income, better skills and field conditions”.

Identifying cultural exchange and mutual understanding as the foundation of long-term cooperation, the Prime Minister suggested that the two sides discuss and propose specific initiatives to enhance cultural connections, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries in general and understanding between localities in particular (for example: encouraging people to travel to each other, organizing festivals, having common tourism products, opening more flights, enhancing exchanges between young generations, etc.).

Identifying innovation and digital transformation as new growth drivers for local cooperation, the Prime Minister also suggested that both sides study and promote cooperation models on digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, startup incubators, research and development (R&D) centers, etc., in which he hoped that the Japanese side would increase experience sharing and support for Vietnamese localities and enterprises in building an innovation ecosystem, promoting digital transformation in local governments, and improving policy-making and governance capacity in priority areas such as AI, mobile infrastructure, semiconductors, etc.

To further strengthen cooperation in green transformation, climate change response, resource management, and natural disaster prevention and control, the Prime Minister suggested that the two sides exchange and share experiences and propose specific cooperation projects on green infrastructure, urban flood prevention, waste-water treatment, smart agriculture adapting to climate change, renewable energy, etc.

The Vietnamese Government welcomes and agrees with the statement made by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae right after his election, which is “Work! Work! Work and Work!”; commits to continue to work harder, always accompanying Japanese localities and investors in the spirit of “3 together” including: Listening and understanding between enterprises, the State and the people; Sharing vision and action to cooperate and support each other to develop quickly and sustainably; Working together, winning together, enjoying together, developing together; sharing joy, happiness and pride.

In that spirit, the Prime Minister called on Japanese localities and enterprises to continue to trust and stick with Vietnam in the development process; constantly contribute to the prosperity of the two countries as well as the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We believe that the first Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum will be an important milestone, a “new push”, a “steel fist”, opening a promising and creative cooperation path between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to further developing bilateral relations according to the motto “sincerity-affection-trust-substance-effectiveness-mutual benefit”, in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of both countries, two peoples, and the leaders of the two countries.

Ha Thanh Giang

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hop-tac-dia-phuong-doanh-nghiep-chinh-la-diem-dac-sac-rieng-co-cua-quan-he-viet-nam-nhat-ban-post925593.html