Japanese prefecture inks co-operation pact

Japanese prefecture inks co-operation pact

The Ministry of Planning and Investment and Japan's Saitama Prefecture signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday in Ha Noi on economic co-operation.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said the Viet Nam-Japan relationship had been strengthened in recent years and that the two countries have become strategic partners with strong economic co-operation.

Japan has taken the lead in providing official development assistance and foreign investment in Viet Nam, Vinh said, and the two sides have co-operated in all sectors. The trust between the two countries was the foundation for a long-term and comprehensive relationship, he said.

The Vietnamese Government hoped to receive support and investment from Japanese local governments and enterprises, he said, vowing that his ministry would create favourable conditions for enterprises from Saitama to invest in Viet Nam.

Kiyoshi Ueda, governor of Saimata Prefecture, said it had a strategic location for transportation and cso-ordinated infrastructure, with over half of Japan's railway systems running through the prefecture.

Saitama has also been home to automobile production and support industries, including such companies as Honda, Nissan and major food processors. Big manufacturing names from Saitama including Honda and Canon have already invested in Viet Nam, he noted. The prefecture planned to continue to invest in the country and support Vietnamese enterprises seeking to invest in Japan, he added

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