Phuong expressed his joy at visiting Oita prefecture - Japan’s famed “onsen capital” - for the first time. He lauded the 52-year relationship between Viet Nam and Japan and especially the progress since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership nearly two years ago, spanning economy, politics, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges. He also noted that Viet Nam's ties with the Kyushu region, particularly Oita prefecture, have grown increasingly robust and substantive.
Highlighting Viet Nam’s push for institutional and legal reforms and development goals in a new era, he affirmed Viet Nam’s desire to deepen its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Japan, especially through locality-to-locality cooperation, a hallmark of the bilateral ties.
Briefing Oita officials on the development priorities and strengths of Da Nang city and Quang Ngai province, Phuong urged Kiichiro and Koichi to step up exchanges between local officials and legislators, and foster collaboration between Oita and Vietnamese localities in hi-tech agriculture, tourism and wellness, which Oita holds advantages.
He also called for greater coordination in culture and people-to-people exchanges, and the full realisation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Oita prefecture and Quang Ngai province, not only on workforce training but also on hot spring and mud bath tourism, areas of mutual strength.
The NA Vice Chairman thanked Oita authorities for their support and requested continued improvements in working and living conditions for Vietnamese workers and more opportunities for Vietnamese students in the prefecture.
Oita leaders congratulated Viet Nam on its 80th National Day and the 15th anniversary of its Consulate General in Fukuoka. They reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, labour, tourism, and in promising sectors like agro-forestry-fisheries processing.
Kiichiro highlighted Oita’s growing ties with Viet Nam, particularly in people-to-people, education and cultural exchanges, and praised the 3,700-strong Vietnamese community as vital to the local socio-economic development. He credited the Vietnamese Association in Oita for fostering mutual understanding through cultural and culinary exchanges.
For his part, Koichi recalled his visit to Viet Nam seven years ago and noted Oita’s MoU with Quang Ngai province signed in 2023. He pledged to deepen ties with Vietnamese localities and said the prefectural assembly would study Phuong’s proposal to establish a Japan-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance in the Oita Prefectural Assembly.
