HCM City (VNA) – Japan is one of the key partners of Ho Chi Minh City in various fields from official development assistance (ODA) to investment and trade, a local official said.
Chairman of the municipal People Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong made the remark at a reception for Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Motoo Hayashi in the city on March 20.
He said the Vietnam – Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia is thriving, thanks to regular high-level delegation exchanges between the two countries.
He expressed his belief that the bilateral relations will enjoy new developments, especially given the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Vietnam and Japan are among the 12 involved countries.
The Japanese Business Association in HCM City has around 800 members who made significant contributions to local socio-economic development, he noted.
Minister Motoo Hayashi thanked municipal authorities for supporting Japanese firms as they invest in the city.
He told the host that with his visit, he aims to promote economic cooperation between the two countries based on the TPP deal, and embrace connectivity between the two business communities to seek cooperation in fields of their interests.-VNA