Tokyo (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a working trip to the Japanese prefecture of Gunma on December 15, immediately after arriving in Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities there.

Receiving Governor of Gunma prefecture Yamamoto Ichita, PM Chinh spoke highly of more than 500 activities held to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always considers locality-to-locality cooperation an effective channel to promote friendship and cooperation, and strengthen bond between the two countries’ people.

Hailing the Governor and Gunma authorities for their determination, efforts, and initiatives to boost ties with Vietnam and Vietnamese partner localities, he suggested the Governor send a business delegation to Vietnam and Gunma Day in the northern province of Ha Nam next year.

He also suggested leaders of Gunma enhance cooperation with Ha Nam and other Vietnamese localities, with their leaders visiting Gunma on this occasion, such as Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Khanh Hoa, and Can Tho, toward optimising the untapped potential through people-to-people exchanges and tourism cooperation activities.

Governor Yamamoto, for his part, said more and more local firms are interested in exploring the Vietnamese market.

Reporting to the PM that Gunma is home to the largest number of Vietnamese people nationwide, he lauded the positive contributions of over 12,000 people to local socio-economic development.

He committed all possible support to cultural and people-to-people exchanges to raise mutual understanding, welcome more Vietnamese workers, including trainees, and support their integration into the host society.

Describing Vietnam as an attractive and developing market, he vowed to arrange more business delegations to Vietnam, and boost bilateral investment and trade cooperation. He wished that the Vietnamese Government would create conditions for enterprises in Gunma to do business in Vietnam and encourage more Vietnamese firms to invest in Gunma.

On the occasion, PM Chinh witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Ha Nam and Gunma.

During his later talks with Governor Yamamoto and outstanding Gunma businesses, he affirmed that Vietnam encourages Japanese enterprises and those from Gunma in particular to expand their operations in Vietnam, thus facilitating technology transfer, use of Vietnamese materials and workers.

According to him, Vietnam is carrying out three strategic breakthroughs, including institutional building, infrastructure development and high-quality workforce training.

Vietnam is creating the best possible conditions for businesses from Gunma and Japan, hoping that they will continue expanding operations in fields of their strengths, such as green economy, digital economy, circular economy, knowledge-based economy, sci-tech, innovation, electronic components, electric vehicles, semiconductor, hydrogen, renewable energy, green finance, biotechnology, health care and high-tech agriculture, among others, he said.

With high determination and great efforts from both sides and on the back of the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world, the Vietnamese leader believed that bilateral economic, investment and trade ties between Vietnam and Japan, and between Vietnam and Gunma will continue to thrive. The authorities and businesses of Gunma will be important factors contributing to further deepening friendship between the two countries.

He wished that both sides would strive even harder, with greater determination, to collaborate and prosper for the benefit, well-being and happiness of their people.

Participating Gunma firms, meanwhile, said they are keen to invest and expand operations in Vietnam, especially in manufacturing equipment and components, food, chemicals, sci-tech, finance, tourism, entertainment, distribution and retail.

In the afternoon the same day, PM Chinh visited Vietnamese workers at Shibata Gousei Co. Ltd., which operates in plastic molding and manufacturing for automotive interior parts./.