Hanoi seeks stronger cooperation with Japanese localities, partners

In Tokyo, Thanh had meetings with Governor Koike Yuriko and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Chairman Ishiguro Norihiko.

Yuriko expressed her sympathy to Hanoi and other northern localities of Vietnam over the losses caused by Typhoon Yagi, affirming that Tokyo is willing to share experience with the country in the construction of infrastructure resiliant against natural disasters.

Thanh thanked the Japanese Government and non-governmental organisations for supporting Vietnam to overcome consequences of the storm.

He noted that in 2013, Hanoi and Tokyo signed their first memorandum of understanding, laying the foundation for Hanoi to send many delegations to Tokyo to exchange local development experience.

Hanoi highly values the pioneering role and initiatives in inter-local cooperation initiated by Tokyo, including the recent Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS) Conference 2024. During the event, Hanoi received various opinions and initiatives in local sustainable development from many perspectives and fields such as technology, infrastructure, culture, Thanh said.

The municipal leader said that Hanoi is focusing on building and perfecting institutions and developing policies to create and allocate development space for the capital city in the coming time, aiming to create breakthrough mechanisms and policies for the city to promote its advantages and develop rapidly and sustainably with a new stature and position, the official said.

He said he hopes during this process, Hanoi can connect and exchange experience with developed cities like Tokyo, especially in areas related to digital transformation, smart city building, and green economy and circular economy development.

Agreeing with Thanh’s proposal on strengthening cooperation, the Tokyo Governor suggested that Hanoi send young start-ups to Tokyo to exchange experience in sustainable urban development.

Receiving the Hanoi delegation, JETRO Chairman Ishiguro Norihiko said that Japanese investment in Vietnam has amounted 12.5 billion USD, with investment areas expanding from manufacturing-processing to retail and trade. Currently, the organisation is focusing on promoting innovation by launching a forum called J-BRIDGE, which has gathered 2,600 businesses.

The JETRO leader said he hopes in the coming time, the organisation and its members can collaborate with Hanoi in promoting innovation.

Thanh lauded contributions by JETRO in strengthening investment and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Japan as well as between Hanoi and Japanese enterprises.

Noting that about 30% of the space of the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park has been occupied, he said he hopes that high-tech businesses from other countries, including Japan, will invest in the park.

The Hanoi leader asked JETRO to continue cooperating with the Hanoi People’s Committee in introducing its image, potential, opportunities. and incentives to Japanese firms, and encourage and support Japanese enterprises to invest more in Hanoi, especially in the fields of green transformation, digital transformation, circular economy, knowledge-based economy, climate change response, and technology development. Hanoi is ready to provide necessary information to JETRO about the city and its development process, he said.

Thanh also asked for JETRO’s assistance in human resources training and institution building. Hanoi is committed to accompanying the business community, supporting and creating all favourable conditions for investment and business activities, continuing to dialogue and listen to investors, reforming administrative procedures, and resolving difficulties and problems, in order to reduce costs for businesses.

On October 17, Thanh had a meeting with Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture Kuroiwa Yuji, during which the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on establishing their friendship and cooperation relations.

Kuroiwa Yuji thanked Hanoi for supporting the locality in organising the Kanagawa Festival in Vietnam in 2023, and noted that the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa in September drew more than 200,000 visitors.

Currently, about 35,000 Vietnamese people are living in Kanagawa, along with 17 Vietnamese businesses. Kanagawa always calls on Japanese enterprises in the locality to invest in Vietnam. As a result, 27 Kanagawa enterprises are operating in Vietnam, the governor said.

He said he hopes the Kanagawa Festival in Hanoi on November 16-17 will provide chances for the two sides to seek more cooperation activities.

Thanh highly valued the special love that Kuroiwa Yuji has for Vietnam and his efforts in the growth of the Vietnam-Japan relations.

He said he hopes the administration of Kanagawa Prefecture will continue to back Vietnamese people and businesses in the locality, and thanked Kanagawa for maintaining the annual Vietnam Festival since 2015.

Thanh suggested that during the Japanese locality’s delegation’s working trip to Vietnam scheduled for November, all departments and sectors of Kanagawa will be present to work with their Hanoi partners to discuss coordination activities to concretise the MoU between the two localities.