Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, Vu Hong Nam, paid a working visit to Niigata to foster economic partnerships between the Japanese prefecture and Vietnamese localities.

During the trip on Tuesday, Ambassador Nam met with Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, expressing his hope that COVID-19 will be controlled soon, so that businesses of both countries can promote their co-operation activities.

Hideyo Hanazumi said that the Niigata administration and other localities highly value the Vietnamese Embassy's role in connecting firms of Niigata and Viet Nam, and pledged to create optimal conditions for improving investment efficiency.

At a talk with leaders of Sanjo city in Niigata and a number of local firms investing in Viet Nam, Nam said that Vietnamese consumers are interested in steel products of Japan, expressing his hope that the city will continue to support businesses investing in Viet Nam, especially in overcoming the pandemic.

Sanjo Mayor Ryo Takizawa said that the city is pleased to become the major unit to implement co-operation projects using the Japanese government's ODA in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province through the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

Takizawa said that the Sanjor Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation document on human resources training with the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Department of Industry and Trade in 2017.

Local firms in Sanjo spoke highly of online exchange events between business communities of Sanjo and Ba Ria – Vung Tau in May.

The embassy is working with agencies to report the difficulties facing Niigata firms in cooperating with Viet Nam, especially those caused by COVID-19, to the Prime Minister, seeking timely solutions, Ambassador Nam told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Tokyo after the visit.

As part of the trip, the ambassador visited a number of economic and cultural facilities of Niigata. — VNS