HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City will pioneer in realising cooperation agreements between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to reinforcing and developing the friendly relations between the two countries, affirmed Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, while hosting visiting special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Tsutomu Takebe on September 23.

Welcoming Takebe to visit the city for the second HCM City friendship dialogue and the 2024 HCM City economic forum, Mai thanked the Japanese official for his contributions to the organisation of the Vietnam-Japan festival, and the Government and people of Japan for supporting Vietnam in overcoming consequences of Typhoon Yagi.

Hailing Takebe’s initiatives in organising the 2025 Vietnam-Japan Festival, the city leader committed to coordinating with the festival’s organising board to ensure that the event takes place smoothly, helping reinforcing bilateral friendship and cooperation, and marking the 10th anniversary of the festival in the city, contributing to promoting the city’s tourism and cultural and people exchange between the two sides.

Mai said that within this year festival’s framework, the two sides should coordinate to organise tourism promotion activities, connecting travel firms and tourism sectors of the two countries, while expanding the exchange among Vietnamese and Japanese children and youngsters, making it a highlight of the festival.

For his part, Takebe expressed his condolences to Vietnam over losses caused by the recent storm. He congratulated HCM City for the success of the second friendship dialogue, asserting that amid challenges in the world, the dialogue can be a door for the settlement of issues facing countries.

He said that preparations for the 2025 Vietnam-Japan Festival are being underway, adding that the organising board will create some highlights for the event, expressing his hope that municipal leaders will pay attention to and create favourable conditions for the activity to take place successfully.

Takebe also asked fo💧r HCM City’s support for Japanese investors in the city, pledging that the ꦕJapanese side will continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese interns, especially those in the semiconductor industry, to study in the country to improve their skills, serving the development of both countries./.