Tokyo (VNA) – Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Tran Thanh Man received Governor of Japan’s Nara prefecture Yamashita Makoto in Tokyo on December 4, within the framework of his official visit to Japan.

Congratulating the Governor of Nara on signing a cooperation agreement with the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, which coincides with the recognition of it as one of the six centrally-run cities of Vietnam, Man emphasised that the agreement will create opportunities for the two localities to exchange and learn from each other’s experiences in socio-economic development, as well as other areas.

Yamashita Makoto said that the two localities will collaborate to organise the 14th East Asia Local and Regional Government Congress in 2025 and continue to sign memoranda of understanding on specific fields of cooperation.

He stated that there are currently 4,000 Vietnamese people working in Nara, primarily in manufacturing, caregiving, and healthcare, making them the largest foreign community in the prefecture. Recently, it has welcomed students from Ho Chi Minh City to work at local companies and businesses.

In the coming time, Nara wants to see more workers from Thua Thien-Hue come to Nara for employment, he stressed, expressing his hope that the National Assembly and Government of Vietnam will continue to support and create favourable conditions for the implementation of future cooperation programmes between the two localities.

The Vietnamese top legislator welcomed the cooperation plan between Nara and Vietnamese localities in areas such as investment, trade, tourism, and labour.

He took this occasion to thank Nara leaders for their attention to and support for the 4,000 Vietnamese people who are studying, working, and living there. He also praised the efforts to promote cooperation in human resources training in areas where Nara has strengths.

Also on the day, the top Vietnamese legislator received Ohno Keiji, President and CEO of Aeon Mall Co., Ltd. He welcomed Aeon Mall to open its supermarkets in Vietnam’s major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and Thua Thien-Hue province.

Vietnam always welcomes and creates favourable conditions for foreign investors, including Aeon Mall, he affirmed, adding that many other Vietnamese provinces and cities are also ready to co-operate with the company to open more shopping malls in the future.

With the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Aeon Mall and🐻 the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho taking place on the same day, Ohno Keiji expressed his hope that in the coming time, the company will cooperate with the authorities and people of Can Tho to further develop the city while continuing to expand investment cooperation in other provinces and cities nationwide./.