Speaking at a press meeting in Ha Noi on September 18 on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of Viet Nam-Japan diplomatic relations (September 21, 1973 - 2026), Ito said bilateral ties have made strong progress under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.
He noted that trust between the two peoples and governments has reached a very high level, describing it as the most important achievement and a valuable asset that will enable younger generations to work together to build a better future.
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Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki speaks to the press on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of VietNam-Japan diplomatic relations. |
The ambassador highlighted a number of cultural and educational exchanges, including the musical “Princess Anio,” which tells the historical love story linking the two countries. After premiering in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, the musical is scheduled to be staged at Pho Hien Theater in Viet Nam next March. A Viet Nam-Japan exchange space has also been opened at Ha Noi University of Science and Technology with support from Japanese businesses, providing a venue for research, exchanges and high-quality human resources training.
Regarding economic and technological cooperation, he affirmed that Japan highly values and supports Viet Nam’s reform agenda and stands ready to coordinate efforts between the public and private sectors to help Viet Nam successfully implement its new growth model.
Cooperation in priority areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, energy, critical minerals and food security has been actively advanced amid efforts to strengthen economic security and supply-chain resilience. In the semiconductor sector, the two sides plan to announce 10 new joint research projects this autumn, following five international collaborative research groups established over the past year, with a goal of having Japan host around 250 Vietnamese PhD students.
At Viet Nam-Japan University, 106 students are currently enrolled in a semiconductor chip technology program, he said, adding that a Viet Nam-Japan Semiconductor Symposium, bringing together around 150 participants, is scheduled for September 20-23 to strengthen links between academia and businesses.
In energy transition, the diplomat announced that the two countries plan to implement 15 pilot projects under the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), focusing on gas-fired power plants using domestic natural gas and LNG. He welcomed the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to improving mechanisms to ensure the feasibility of long-term investments.
Defense and security cooperation has also advanced, including through the Official Security Assistance (OSA) mechanism. Following Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang’s visit to Japan in July, the two sides reached a high degree of consensus on joint research, development and production of defense equipment.
People-to-people exchanges have also grown strongly, with 505,000 Vietnamese visitors travelling to Japan and 589,000 Japanese visitors to Viet Nam during the first eight months of 2026, up 5.4% and 9.2% year-on-year, respectively. Ito expressed confidence that the two countries could achieve their goal of two million two-way visitors before 2030.
The ambassador also said that he expects high-level visits to further strengthen bilateral ties. He affirmed Japan’s appreciation of Viet Nam’s growing regional role and pledged continued support for Viet Nam as CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Chair in 2026 and host of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2027.
Source: VNA