At a working session with Yanai Shungaku, Chairman of the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Vo Van Minh said the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishes an official and sustainable dialogue mechanism, helping elevate bilateral relations.

He stressed that Japan remains a strategic partner in the city’s development and international integration. Among Japanese localities, Ho Chi Minh City places high importance on cooperation with Yamaguchi prefecture and wishes to further nurture the longstanding friendship between the two sides, including the earlier partnership between Yamaguchi and the former Binh Duong province (now part of Ho Chi Minh City).

Minh noted that cooperation has expanded beyond economic, trade and cultural exchanges to include stronger links between elected bodies, institutions representing the legitimate aspirations and interests of local residents.

Under the MoU, the two councils will enhance political trust at the local level, promote exchanges of experience in policymaking and governance, and ensure continuity in joint programmes through closer coordination and oversight.

For his part, Yanai Shungaku affirmed the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City. He revealed that Yamaguchi has recently established a Yamaguchi–Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Parliamentarians’ Alliance to further strengthen bilateral exchanges.

Building on the newly signed MoU, Yamaguchi hopes to expand multifaceted cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City, with the alliance expected to play a central role in fostering collaboration across sectors.

The agreement provides for strengthened friendly exchanges, coordination between specialised committees, and mutual support for broader cooperation activities, with the goal of continuously consolidating and advancing ties between the two localities.