Prime Minister Le Minh Hung received Governor of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture Nagasaki Kotaro in Hanoi on May 11, pledging support for Yamanashi’s continued promotion of substantive and comprehensive ties with Vietnamese localities, including Quang Tri, Lao Cai and Tay Ninh, with which the prefecture has already established relations.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung receives Governor of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture Nagasaki Kotaro in Hanoi on May 11.

At the meeting, the two sides expressed their satisfaction at the continued strong, substantive and effective development of the Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World, which has entered its third year with high political trust and cooperation expanding across all fields.

Japan remains one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners, ranking first in official development assistance (ODA) and labour cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in trade and tourism.

Notably, the successful visit to Vietnam by Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae from May 1 to 3 has opened up new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, according to PM Hung.

He affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of regarding Japan as one of its most important and long-term partners and a trustworthy companion.

The host described locality-to-locality cooperation as an important and practical channel for deepening the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Local-level cooperation and people-to-people exchanges have become increasingly vibrant, with more than 100 pairs of localities establishing cooperative ties.

The nearly 5,000-strong Vietnamese community in Yamanashi and around 40 Yamanashi enterprises operating in Vietnam have made important contributions to this process.

Speaking highly of Japan’s commitment to supporting Vietnam’s project on developing 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice, PM Hung called on Yamanashi to further strengthen agricultural cooperation, promote technology transfer and expand high-quality human resources training.

He asked the prefecture to encourage the Japanese side to complete internal procedures and announce the market opening for Japanese grapes and Vietnamese pomelos at an early date, thereby further facilitating agricultural trade between the two countries.

Yamanashi should also work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and enterprises of Vietnam to bolster collaboration in green energy and hydrogen, while encouraging its businesses to broaden investment in Vietnam in the areas of its strength, he added.

On human resources training, the PM suggested both sides step up the training and reception of highly skilled workers in line with the needs of enterprises in Yamanashi and Vietnam, particularly in science and technology, high-tech agriculture and technical services.

The Government leader also thanked Nagasaki for the support extended to the Vietnamese community in Yamanashi and expressed his hope that the prefecture will continue implementing practical support policies, including those related to insurance and labour conditions.

He invited leaders and businesses from Yamanashi to attend the second Vietnam – Japan Local Cooperation Forum, scheduled to take place in Hue city in the third quarter of 2026.

For his part, Nagasaki congratulated Hung on his election by the National Assembly as Prime Minister and reaffirmed Yamanashi’s strong commitment to relations with Vietnam.

The prefecture is seeking to expand cooperation in multiple areas, especially fruit cultivation, renewable energy and green hydrogen, he said, stating that it stands ready to share experience and knowledge, and promote business exchanges and study visits.

Noting Yamanashi is Japan’s largest producer of grapes and peaches, the visiting official welcomed the agreement reached by the two governments during the Japanese PM's recent visit to accelerate procedures for the import of Japanese grapes into Vietnam.

He also shared that Yamanashi is developing a health insurance system for Vietnamese families so that Vietnamese residents can live and work in the prefecture with peace of mind and regard it as a second home.

The Governor affirmed he will continue coordinating with Japanese localities in cooperation with Vietnam, and expressed his hope that the Vietnamese PM and relevant ministries and localities of the country will create favourable conditions for Yamanashi prefecture to further contribute to the development of bilateral relations, especially on the issues that PM Hung mentioned.

Vietnamese, Japanese PMs meet with press after talks

PM Le Minh Hung affirmed PM Takaichi’s first official visit to Vietnam as an important milestone that will generate new momentum and open up fresh opportunities for bilateral ties

 

Vietnamese PM hosts welcome ceremony for Japanese counterpart

Vietnam is the first country in the region visited by PM Takaichi following her re-election in February 2026, reflecting Vietnam’s important position in Japan’s regional policy.

 

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