Vietnamese-Japanese Localities: Cooperating for Development, Shaping the Future

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivering remarks at the Forum

The Forum comprised a Plenary Session and multiple thematic discussions focusing on green, circular and smart economic development; supporting industries and logistics; innovation and digital transformation; high-tech agriculture; tourism; human resource development; and business connectivity. In addition, more than 50 exhibition booths showcasing products and technologies, along with 40 bilateral networking events, were organized on the sidelines, creating favorable conditions for localities and enterprises to meet, exchange information, and explore potential partnerships.

At the Plenary Session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that local-level cooperation and business cooperation constitute distinctive features of Vietnam-Japan relations. He called on Japanese localities to strengthen coordination with Viet Nam in eight priority areas, including human resource development, digital transformation, innovation, green energy, and cultural and tourism exchanges. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam urged both sides to proactively develop new cooperation models, remove technical barriers, and enhance business connectivity. Meanwhile, the Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam highly appreciated the potential of Vietnamese localities and reaffirmed Japan’s readiness to expand cooperation through regional linkages, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, enhanced people-to-people exchanges, and the development of public - private partnership projects.

The Gia Lai provincial delegation attending the Forum was led by Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee, together with leaders of provincial departments and representatives of enterprises. At the exhibition area, Gia Lai Province introduced its typical products and export potential, including roasted and instant coffee, honey, black pepper, cashew nuts, dried fruits, traditional rice noodles and cakes, and Sophora flower tea. In addition, the province showcased its Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Handbook and a promotional video, providing information on its investment environment, development advantages, and cooperation potential.

Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki

Notably, Gia Lai was one of four Vietnamese localities invited to deliver remarks at the Plenary Session of the Forum. In his remarks, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh highlighted Gia Lai’s strategic connectivity position linking the Central Highlands with the South Central Coast; introduced the province’s cooperation potential in high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, processing industries, logistics, education and training, and cultural exchanges; and reaffirmed Gia Lai Province’s commitment to supporting Japanese enterprises through a transparent and stable investment environment, aligned with a green and sustainable development orientation.

Gia Lai’s participation in the Forum, together with its product exhibition and remarks delivered at the Plenary Session, helped to further introduce the province’s potential, strengths, and development orientation to Japanese partners. The Forum also provided an opportunity for Gia Lai to expand connections and explore feasible cooperation models in investment, trade, tourism, science and technology, and human resource development, thereby contributing to the strengthening of cooperative relations between Gia Lai Province and Japanese localities and enterprises in the coming period.