Reception celebrating Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday in Ho Chi Minh City: Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong (L) and Japanese Consul General in HCM City Ono Masuo at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

On behalf of the city's administration and people, Vice Chairman Cuong extended the greetings to the Japanese Emperor, and showed his delight at the important progress in the Vietnam-Japan relations, especially the upgrade of the bilateral ties to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023.

HCM City is proud to make contributions to the growth of the Japanese ties last year by hosting the 8th Vietnam-Japan Festival, which drew nearly 500,000 visitors and helped to foster the cultural connectivity between the two nations.

Last year, the city attracted nearly 100 new Japanese-invested projects, raising the total number of such projects in the city to nearly 1,700 with combined registered capital of more than 5.7 billion USD, the official noted.

He believed that with the support of the Japanese Emperor as well as the determination and efforts of both sides, the Vietnam-Japan cooperation will be deepened and become more effective, expanding development spaces for the two countries.

Ho Chi Minh City hopes to become a major partner and a prioritised cooperation destination for Japanese localities for the prosperity of both countries and for peace and stability in the region, Cuong stressed.

For his part, Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ono Masuo expressed his pleasure at the growth of the ties between Japan and Vietnam across all fields, especially after the two nations elevated their relations to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023.

Japan is the biggest ODA provider and the second biggest foreign investor in Vietnam, he said, adding that the Japanese Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City has attracted 1,060 members.

The diplomat thanked leaders of the city to provide favourable conditions for Japanese investors, adding that the 500,000-strong Vietnamese community in Japan is a foundation for the stronger friendship between the two peoples, contributing to the development of both countries.