National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien hosted a reception on January 18 for a delegation of the Youth Division of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who were in Hanoi to attend the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26).
Welcoming the delegation, Vice Chairman Hien described the guests’ participation in APPF-26 as a contribution to the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the two parliaments.
Highlighting the vigorous development of bilateral ties over the past years, he said in 2017, Japan was one of the top investors and also a leading provider of official development assistance and non-refundable aid for Vietnam.
While bilateral trade has risen strongly and helped enhance the countries’ economic ties, cultural, educational and healthcare cooperation has also grown rapidly and effectively, he noted.
He emphasised that Vietnam and Japan boast traditional cooperation and friendship which have helped foster the prosperity of the two nations, the region and the world as well.
Hien expressed his hope that Japanese parliamentarians, especially young ones, will continue supporting relations between the two countries and the two parliaments, step up sharing experience in lawmaking and supervision, and promote economic partnership and cultural exchange.
Meanwhile, the parliaments of Vietnam and Japan should keep discussing to seek ways to remove unreasonable barriers to facilitate their businesses’ investment in each other’s markets, he added.
Director of the LDP’s Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, who is also a member of Japan’s House of Representatives, said 2017 was an important year in bilateral connections with high-level trips, including a State visit to Vietnam by the Japanese Emperor and Empress and a tour to the country by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Youth Division of LDP also set up close-knit cooperative relationship with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
He also asked Vietnam to continue improving its investment climate so that foreign businesses, including Japanese ones, can increase investment here, thus helping to reinforce the countries’ cooperation.
