Attending were Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung; Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee Vu Dai Thang; representatives of leaders of ministries, branches and localities.
On the Japanese side, there were Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki; Special Advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Takebe Tsutomu...
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Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said: The first Vietnam - Japan Local Cooperation Forum is the first large-scale event to strengthen the connection between Vietnamese and Japanese localities, carried out according to the agreement between the Prime Ministers of the two countries during the official visit to Vietnam by the Japanese Prime Minister 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-NQ/TW of the Politburo on international integration.
On this occasion, Minister Le Hoai Trung 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 Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation continues to be a bright spot and a model in the 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,” Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized.
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, and the localities themselves will be the direct beneficiaries of the achievements of the development of the Vietnam - Japan relationship, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries.
At the Forum, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki read the congratulatory message of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.
Accordingly, the Japanese Prime Minister sent his most sincere congratulations to the first Vietnam - Japan Local Cooperation Forum, which was solemnly held.
The Japanese Prime Minister welcomed the upgrading of the Japan-Vietnam relationship to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in 2023, and the growing cooperation in all areas, such as people-to-people exchanges, economy, culture, and security.
The Japanese Prime Minister was also pleased to know that more than 100 cooperation documents had been signed in the field of exchange between localities.
Japan will continue to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the reform process to achieve even higher economic growth; firmly believe 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"; hoping that through this Forum, cooperation between Japan and Vietnam will become increasingly deeper.
Speaking at the Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed greetings and best wishes from General Secretary To Lam 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 Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae for sending his condolences and sympathy for 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 stated.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Forum's theme "Accompanying Comprehensive Development - Creating a Sustainable Future" as having very practical and strategic significance, clearly demonstrating the spirit of win-win cooperation, accompanying development, and creating a future for peace, stability and prosperity of both countries.
In particular, after 2 years of upgrading the relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the relationship between the two countries has made many strong developments. In particular, the two sides have raised the level and established many new dialogue mechanisms in traditional cooperation areas such as diplomacy, defense, security, and labor, to build, consolidate, and strengthen trust.
Regarding the Vietnam-Japan cooperation relationship, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 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.
The Prime Minister proposed and suggested five major orientations for the two sides to strengthen cooperation, exchange and discussion at the Forum.
That is, proactively, creatively, promoting 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, lack of growth momentum, etc.
Therefore, the Prime Minister suggested that localities focus on discussing their potentials, strengths, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages; identify 1-2 priority and spearhead areas of their localities, and strive to propose 2-3 specific cooperation initiatives/projects that can be implemented in the next 1-2 years.
Along with that, 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 of the two countries that are trying to find opportunities to connect and trade. The Prime Minister suggested that localities of the two countries focus on listening to the opinions of businesses to proactively have preferential policies, creating a favorable environment for businesses of the two 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 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.; hoping that the Japanese side will 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, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Japanese localities and enterprises to continue to trust and stick with Vietnam in the development process; and to constantly contribute to the prosperity of the two countries as well as the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Prime Minister believes 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 under the motto of “sincerity - affection - trust - substance - efficiency - mutual benefit”, in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of both countries, two peoples, and the leaders of the two countries.
Within the framework of the Forum, there will be more than 100 activities connecting and working between the parties.
The Vietnam - Japan local exhibition was also held, with more than 40 booths displaying typical Vietnamese - Japanese local products and an area for cultural exchange and experience between the two countries.
+ Previously, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Special Advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Takebe Tsutomu and a delegation of Japanese provinces.
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-du-dien-dan-hop-tac-dia-phuong-viet-nam-nhat-ban-lan-thu-nhat-10397031.html
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