HCM City (VNA)– Ho Chi Minh City wants to cooperate with Japanese investors in climate changeadaptation, green growth, application of technology in environmental protectionand education, a local official said on October 12.

While receiving ViceChairman of the International Friendship Exchange Council (FEC) of Japan YoshihikoNakagaki, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem said thecity also desires to further boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges, especiallyexchanges between students and youths, in order to enhance mutual understandingand bilateral relations between Vietnam and Japan.

Liem affirmed that Japanis a close friend of Vietnam and HCM City in particular, adding that the cityhas increased the exchange of visits as well as cooperation and friendship activitieswith Japan and its cities and prefectures.

The two sides have alsoorganised a range of cultural exchange activities such as the Japan-VietnamFestival and the Vietnam Festival in Aichi with the theme of “Ho Chi Minh City’sIntegration and Development,” he said.

At the meeting, Liem andNakagaki also discussed a number of issues in which Japan is interested likesettlement of pressure from growing population, traffic congestion, floodingand the city’s education work.

Nakagaki, who is alsoChairman of the Japan-Vietnam Cultural and Economic Exchange Committee, saidthis is the eighth time has had led a FEC delegation on a working visit toVietnam, enabling him to witness the rapid, impressive changes of both Vietnamand HCM City.

He commended the city’sremarkable contributions to Vietnam’s strong economic growth in recent years.Japan highly evaluated potential for socio-economic development of Vietnam andHCM City in particular in the future, Nakagaki added.

Sharing HCM City’s plan tobuild itself into a smart city, Nakagaki said Japanese businesses want to joinhands with the city in dealing with challenges in the process of urbandevelopment, especially in water supply and drainage, transport infrastructure andenergy, among others.

The FEC was established inMay 1983 as a non-profit international exchange organisation that, on theprivate-sector level, promotes relationships of friendship and cooperationbetween Japan and other countries as well as fosters public understanding ofinternational circumstances.

Members of the FEC includemany people with deep knowledge and experience in diplomacy and internationalrelations, both from the public and private sectors, including ambassadors toJapan. The FEC is committed to developing and promoting relationships of mutualbenefit with people of other countries from the perspective of independent,private diplomacy, by uniting the wisdom of members and reflecting people’swishes in diplomacy.-VNA