Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu on December 20 handed over Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's Certificate of Merit to Governor of Niigata prefecture Hanazumi Hideyo in recognition of his contributions to Vietnam-Japan relations.

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long hopes to further cooperate with Japan’s Niigata prefecture in various areas, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lu Quang Ngoi said on August 5 when hosting a delegation of the prefecture led by its Governor Hanazumi Hideyo.

A conference to boost human resources connectivity between the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long and Japan’s Niigata prefecture was held in the Vietnamese province on August 4.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung received Governor of Japan’s Niigata prefecture Hideyo Hanazumi in Hanoi on October 18, noting that Vietnam attaches importance to locality-to-locality cooperation between the two countries.