JICA President Akihiko Tanaka visited Vietnam from March 5 to 8, 2023, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam. President Tanaka spoke at a high-level economic seminar, met with government officials, inspected cooperative projects, and delivered a special JICA Chair lecture at Japan-Vietnam University.
At the beginning of the meeting with Truong Thi My, Executive Secretary of the Communist Party General Secretariat, Mr. My spoke highly of Japan’s contribution to Vietnam’s development and expressed his hope that Japan would continue to actively utilize its ODA. In addition, he spoke highly of the training program for senior Communist Party officials and expressed his desire to work closely with Japan to further strengthen bilateral relations.
In response, President Tanaka congratulated Mr. Mai on his appointment as Executive Director of the General Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam (see note below), and praised the efforts of the Vietnamese people, saying that he was pleased that JICA was able to accompany Vietnam’s growth as a partner and that they were able to move smoothly into Hanoi via Noi Bai Airport Terminal 2 and Nhat Tan Bridge, which were under construction when he visited in 2013. He praised the efforts of the Vietnamese people, saying that he was pleased that JICA was able to accompany Vietnam’s growth as a partner.
On March 7, a high-level economic seminar “New Possibilities for Vietnam-Japan Economic Relations Toward the Future” was grandly held in Hanoi to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The seminar was attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Vietnamese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan Yamada Takao, and about 250 Vietnamese and Japanese officials.
In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Chinh thanked Japan’s ODA for its contribution to Vietnam’s socio-economic development. He also expressed hope for cooperation in GX, DX, science and technology, and innovation, building on the 50 years of friendship between the two countries. In the second part of his special presentation, President Tanaka reviewed JICA’s cooperation to date and expressed his desire to contribute to the stability and development of the region through national development, social development, and human development, complementing each other to create a better future for the next generation in both countries.
In addition, Chancellor Tanaka gave a special JICA Chair lecture titled “Japan after the Cold War” to about 70 students and faculty members (including online participants) at Japan-EU. After the lecture, participants asked many questions and actively exchanged opinions.
(Note: Appointed as Executive Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Communist Party on March 6 (former Chairman of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party).
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