The opening ceremony of a series of seminars and forums on promoting the Viet Nam-Japan cooperation in the aspects of economics, labour and tourism took place Da Nang on Monday morning.

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue speaking at the opening ceremony

The event was attended by Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue, Head of the Intersectoral Steering Committee for International Economic Integration, Mr Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan cum Chairman of the Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVPA), and Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Truong Quang Nghia.

Also present at the event were more than 1,000 delegates who are parliamentarians, provincial leaders, representatives of ministries, economic organisations and businesses across Japan.

In his remarks at the event, Deputy PM Hue expressed his delight at the fine development of the extensive strategic partnership, and at fruitful results from people-to-people exchange activities, with Japan over recent years.

He added that Japan and Viet Nam are complementing each other to accelerate their economic growth, which will lay a good foundation for the two countries to foster their cooperative ties in the future, especially in the context of international trade tensions and growing trade protectionism.

The Vietnamese Deputy PM noted since Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made an official visit to Japan in 2015, Viet Nam and Japan have issued a joint statement enhancing connectivity between the two economies in development strategy, production capacity, human resources training.

Deputy PM Hue added, last year, Viet Nam welcomed a combined total of over 18 million international tourists. Also in 2019, Viet Nam won the award for ‘Asia's Leading Destination’ in the 2^nd consecutive year, as well as recorded a trade surplus and was one of the 25 countries having the world’s largest trade volume in the 3^rd consecutive year.

According to international trade organisations, Viet Nam is one of the world’s 12 top countries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) effectively. Most notably, the country jumped 10 places on the world’s ranking table for business investment environment in 2019.

As for 2020, Viet Nam will make every effort to jump 10 places on the world’s ranking table for business investment environment.

The focus will be on improving the country’s FDI policies to attract even more foreign investment into such priority aspects as hi-tech and clean industry.

Greater efforts will be made to promote international cooperative relations with local enterprises to develop production and consumption chains.

“As for Japan, Viet Nam will create very favourable conditions for Japanese investors, including small and medium ones, to put the money in Vietnamese localities” Mr Hue emphasised.

The national leader hoped that Japan would become the top investor in Viet Nam. He also took the opportunity to ask the Japanese government to open its doors to foreign immigrant workers, including those from Viet Nam, as well as help Vietnamese trainees and labours to better understanding about Japanese law and culture.

Great importance should be attached to promoting the development of the tourism and people-to-people exchange activities, and boosting the opening of non-stop air routes between the two countries.

Within the framework of the programme, numerous activities will take place in Da Nang. Included will be seminars on investment and trade promotion, how to use Viet Nam - Japan human resources effectively, and Viet Nam - Japan tourism cooperation promotion.

In addition, there will be a programme to connect Vietnamese and Japanese travel agencies, and a Viet Nam-Japan leadership conference which will be chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.

By KHANG NINH - Translated by MAI DUNG