Hanoi (VNA)ꦬ - National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met with Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary General of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and other Japanese legislators in Hanoi on September 8.

Congratulating Toshihiro Nikai on his appointment as the LDP Secretary General, Ngan said she believes that the LDP will continue actively contributing to Japan’s development and the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries. She affirmed that the Vietnamese NA will provide more favourable conditions for cooperation and exchanges between the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Union, which is headed by Toshihiro Nikai, and the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians Group. Rejoicing at the flourishing “extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia” of Vietnam and Japan, she highly valued the outcomes of the discussion between the countries’ parliamentarians, who looked into potential cooperation aspects like agriculture, climate change, environment and natural disaster prevention. Chairwoman Ngan applauded the initiative to organise Japanese flower festivals in Vietnam and the “lotus exchange” between the countries parliamentarians, noting that those activities demonstrate the two peoples’ cultural similarities and “soul connection”. She also voiced the delight that the Vietnam-Japan University, a project promoted by the Japan-Vietnam parliamentarians union, have become operational. She expressed the belief that the school will soon become a leading university that can supply high-quality manpower for her country and the region. For his part, Toshihiro Nikai informed his host about the outcomes of Japanese parliamentarians’ discussion with their Vietnamese counterparts, noting that the Japanese delegation will actively consider the proposal of easing the visa regulations for Vietnamese citizens. The two sides also agreed to effectively enhance cooperation between the Japanese and Vietnamese legislatures, he added. At the meeting, some Japanese parliamentarians also voiced pleasure of reinforced bilateral ties and asked for more collaboration between the countries’ legislative bodies, peoples, localities and businesses. They said Japan is ready to assist Vietnam to cope with climate change challenges. Earlier on the day, the Japanese legislators met their Vietnamese peers at a talk on cooperation in agriculture, tourism and climate change. Toshihiro Nikai said in the coming time, Japan wants to work with Vietnam on projects engaging in agro-forestry products, irrigation works, among others. The legislators suggested that Vietnam and Japan continue work together in implementing the Mid-Term and Long-Term Joint Vision on Agricultural Cooperation (2015-2019). Focus should be put on enhancing productivity and added value, food processing, climate change, high-quality human resource training, they said.-VNA