As part of their ongoing business trip to Japan, a group of Da Nang officials, led by municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang, met with Mayor of Sakai City Nagafui Hideki on Thursday.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) shaking hands with Mayor of Sakai City Nagafuji Hideki.

During his reception for the delegation of Da Nang, Mayor Nagafui Hideki said that he was impressed by the beauty of local beaches during his first personal visit to Da Nang in 2016. He expressed his wish to return to Da Nang soon.

He added Da Nang and Sakai have established a cooperative relationship since 2019, expressing his delight at the flourishing bilateral relations between two localities in all aspects.

In 2020, despite COVID-19, the two localities still maintained cooperation activities via online form.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) preventing a souvenir gift to Mayor of Sakai City Nagafuji Hideki.

On behalf of the Da Nang delegation, Secretary Quang thanked the warm welcome of Sakai City leaders.

He added although Da Nang and Sakai have upgraded to establish their friendship and cooperation relations since 2019, they have not had the opportunity to meet face-to-face due to COVID-19.

Over the past time, Sakai and Da Nang have maintained exchange and cooperation activities via online form. However, the city leader wished to further strengthen the exchange of visits by high-ranking delegations and cultural and educational activities between the two sides.

The delegation of Da Nang posing for a group photo with Mayor of Sakai City Nagafuji Hideki.

He informed that Da Nang will host the Viet Nam - Japan Cultural Week 2023 in July to celebrate the 50^th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. He, therefore, asked for support from Sakai City to successfully organise the upcoming event.

Mr. Quang also took the opportunity to invite Mayor Nagafui Hideki, plus associations and arts groups in Sakai, to Da Nang to attend the forthcoming event.

Meanwhile, Sakai shared its experience in urban and environment management for Da Nang.

Mayor of Sakai City Nagafuji Hideki (right) giving a gift to Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang

Da Nang Party chief Quang agreed with the Mayor's opinion on strengthening people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchanges, as well as on organising cultural festivals, and introducing Japanese tea ceremony in Da Nang in the coming time.

He remarked Da Nang was showing its keen interest in fostering the bilateral cooperation relations in human resource training, especially in the healthcare sector. He hoped Sakai’s mayor will do his utmost to promote and introduce the images of Da Nang to Japanese businesses in the time to come.

Reporting by GIA MINH - Translating by M.DUNG