Vietnamese, Japanese friendship parliamentary groups promote practical cooperation

The parliamentary friendship groups and unions of Vietnam and Japan should play a greater role in promoting the implementation of high-level agreements, particularly in economic and trade cooperation, and translating commitments into concrete outcomes.

The statement was made by Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of its Organisation Commission, and Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group Nguyen Duy Ngoc at a working meeting with Obuchi Yuko, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives and Chairwoman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, in Tokyo on November 9, during the official visit to Japan by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President To Lam.

Ngoc thanked Obuchi and generations of Japanese parliamentarians, including her father, late Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo, for their contributions to bilateral relations. He praised the alliance’s role in fostering friendship, strengthening trust and promoting cooperation, and called on its members to continue supporting ties between the two countries.

Emphasising that high-quality human resources development is one of Vietnam’s strategic breakthroughs, the Vietnamese official called for stronger cooperation that harnesses Japan’s strengths in education, training, science, technology and modern governance. He also highlighted the need to train personnel for strategic industries and implement a project to improve the capacity of Vietnamese leaders and officials at all levels.

He proposed the two sides strengthen cooperation in developing high-quality human resources for Vietnam, particularly in strategic technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and electronics; promote closer links among universities, research institutes and businesses, aligning training with applied research and technology transfer to meet development requirements in the new era.

Ngoc called on Japan to support policies that ensure a fair, equal and favourable environment for the Vietnamese community and Vietnamese businesses in Japan as well as promote mechanisms for consular notification and information sharing, and simplify visa renewal procedures for Vietnamese citizens, firstly technology engineers.

He emphasised the need for stronger local-level cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and tourism, with greater connections among localities, businesses and young people. He also highlighted the recently announced Vietnam-Japan Tourism Year 2027–2028.

He emphasised the need to promote local-level cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and tourism; strengthen connectivity among localities, businesses and younger generations of the two countries; and make effective use of the newly announced Vietnam-Japan Tourism Cooperation Years 2027-2028 to foster greater mutual understanding and closer ties between the two countries' people.

Obuchi welcomed Ngoc and the Vietnamese delegation, expressing pleasure at meeting him for the first time in his capacity as Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group. Recalling her visits to Vietnam in 2023 and 2025, she said her affection for the country had been nurtured across generations of Japanese parliamentarians.

She noted that the alliance brings together lawmakers from various political parties with diverse expertise and a shared interest in Vietnam, and expressed her wish to expand exchanges between the two parliamentary friendship organisations and the two legislatures.

She also agreed with Ngoc’s proposals, stressing the importance of cooperation in human resources training, scientific research, trade, investment, energy, space, AI and agriculture. She pledged to discuss with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs the proposal to facilitate visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens.

Japanese lawmakers at the meeting also noted with pleasure the growing Vietnamese community in Japan and expressed their interest in establishing closer ties with Vietnamese localities. They shared information about a Liberal Democratic Party working group studying ways to improve living conditions for foreign residents, including Japanese-language teaching initiatives, particularly for Vietnamese people./.