During a reception in Hanoi on November 26 for the Governor,Binh expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to stepping up friendlyand cooperatives relations between Ibaraki and Vietnam.
He said the Vietnam – Japan extensive strategic partnership hasbeen growing with enhanced political trust. Japan remains the top importanteconomic partner, the largest supplier of official development assistance, thesecond largest investor and the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam, theDeputy PM said.
The Vietnamese community in Japan counts more than 370,000,making it the third largest foreign community in the country, Binh added.
Vietnam attaches importance to cooperation between the twocountries’ localities, considering it a practical and effective channel toenhance joint work in the fields of trade, investment, labour andpeople-to-people exchange, he said.
According to the Deputy PM, Ibaraki prefecture-based Joyo Bankis one of the first local banks to establish a representative office inVietnam.
He stressed that Vietnam is ready to provide all possiblesupport for enterprises from Ibaraki to do successful business in the country.
Binh suggested that Ibaraki prefecture receives moreVietnamese apprentices and guest workers in line with a memorandum ofunderstanding recently signed between Ibaraki prefecture and the Vietnamese Ministryof Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, as well as creating favourableconditions for Vietnamese people living and working there.
Kazuhiko, for his part, said Ibaraki’s gross domesticproduct (GDP) ranked 11th in Japan (around 107 billion USD) withstrengths in high-tech agriculture, precision engineering and chemicals.
He added that the prefecture has promoted exchange withVietnam and signed a agreement on agricultural cooperation with the VietnameseMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The governor pledged to step up Japan – Vietnam relations ingeneral and ties between Ibaraki and Vietnamese ministries, agencies andlocalities in particular.
About 5,200 Vietnamese people are working and living inIbaraki, mostly apprentices, he said./.