At the congress. Photo: VNA.

The region covers seven prefectures on Kyushu island and the Okinawa Prefecture, as reported by VNA.

In his letter sent to the congress to establish the association, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu praised the efforts made by the Association of Vietnamese in Fukuoka and the provisional executive committee of the Vietnam-Japan of Vietnam-Japan families in mobilising support and participation for the establishment.

Hieu, also Chairman of the Foreign Ministry’s State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, expressed his belief that the new association will become a trusted address for connecting, supporting and gathering the community toward a stable and happy life, integration into Japanese society, preservation of traditional cultural identities, and contributions to the two nations’ friendship.

Vietnamese Consul General to Fukuoka Vu Binh delivered his speech vituarlly. Photo: Bao Quoc Te

At the congress held at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka on December 25, more than 40 delegates passed the association’s operation charter and elected the executive board for the 2021-2023 term.

Vietnamese Consul General to Fukuoka Vu Binh pledged to assist the association’s operation.

Chairwoman of the association Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet stressed her commitment to planning and implementing future activities taking into account comments and recommendations collected at the congress.

Photo: Bao Quoc Te

Chairwoman of the association Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet gave presents to children. Photo: Bao Quoc Te

In November, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Japan expects to strengthen relations with Vietnam following the upcoming visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

“Vietnam is a partner to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. We expect to further strengthen Japan-Vietnam relations and build personal trust between the leaders," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference.

Last month, the two PMs met each other on the sidelines of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, the United Kingdom.

At this meeting, the two sides agreed to work closely together to promote the Vietnam - Japan relations, for the benefit of the two peoples, and to contribute to the common prosperity of the region and the world.

Japan - Vietnam bilateral relations

Since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1973, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan have been continuously nurtured by generations of leaders and peoples, becoming a common treasure of both countries.

In 2014, Vietnam and Japan set up a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral relations, according to VN Embassy – Jp.

The good relations between Vietnam and Japan have been strengthened through regular high-level visits and exchanges by leaders of the two countries. Vietnam and Japan have also maintained important cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee which is co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers and the Vietnam-Japan Defence Policy Dialogue at the deputy ministerial level. Japan has also coordinated closely and effectively with Vietnam at many multilateral forums and international organizations.

The economic cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has grown steadily. Japan is the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam and is Vietnam's fourth-largest trade partner.

The volume of bilateral trade reached US$33.4 billion in 2017, up 16.8% compared to 2016. Japan's direct investment in Vietnam in 2017 also hit a record high of US$9.11 billion, to rank first among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. From 1992 to March 2017, Japan committed about US$30.5 billion worth of ODA loans to Vietnam.

The then Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second left) and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe bow in front of their national flags as they review an honor guard prior to their meeting at Abe's official residence in Tokyo on May 28, 2016. Photo: AFP

Agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has also achieved many breakthroughs. Both sides signed the medium and long-term vision of Vietnam-Japan agriculture cooperation. Cooperation on climate change response continues to see strong and substantial development, with Japan continuously providing ODA to Vietnam's climate change response projects.

Education cooperation between the two countries has also achieved promising results, with the number of Vietnamese on-the-job trainees and students in Japan rising to nearly 200,000 in early 2018. Japan is cooperating with Vietnam to build the Vietnam-Japan University to train high-quality human resources for Vietnam in the fields of science and technology, management, and services.

Bilateral cooperation in tourism and labor is also being promoted. The Vietnamese community in Japan comprises more than 262,000 people, while the Japanese community in Vietnam amounts to about 16,000 people, who all serve as a bridge to boost the relationship between the two countries.

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were welcomed by Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh at Noi Bai Airport. Photo: VOV

The state visit to Japan by President Tran Dai Quang takes place on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties which aims to affirm Vietnam's appreciation of the strengthening of an extensive strategic partnership with Japan and the wish to bring bilateral relations into a new stage of development in all aspects, for the interests of both parties. The visit is also an opportunity for the two sides to exchange ideas on regional and international issues of mutual concern for the peace, stability, cooperation, and development of the region and the world.

Japan and Vietnam have supported each other in the fight against COVID-19. Japan is one of the largest donor of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Vietnam.

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