Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Vietnam-Japan Diplomatic Relations

Politburo member, Permanent member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organizing Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Truong Thi Mai speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

On the evening of September 21, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations (September 21, 1973 - September 21, 2023).

Attending the ceremony, on the Vietnamese side were Politburo member, Standing member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organizing Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Truong Thi Mai; Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Steering Committee for activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations Tran Luu Quang; Former Politburo member, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former Head of the Central Organizing Committee , Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association To Huy Rua; representatives of leaders of a number of ministries, branches, central agencies, leaders of a number of localities, units with cooperative relations with Japan, former Vietnamese students in Japan and members of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association.

On the Japanese side, there were the participation of Crown Prince Akishino and Princess; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam Yamada Takio; President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association Furuta Moto; officials of the Japanese Embassy and representatives of organizations, businesses and the Japanese community in Vietnam.

Speaking at the ceremony, on behalf of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai sent greetings to Crown Prince Akishino and the Princess on their visit to Vietnam and attendance at the ceremony; and through the Crown Prince conveyed to the King, Queen, Retired Emperor and Empress Dowager of Japan the greetings of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong.

The Standing Secretariat emphasized that with a historical foundation of people-to-people exchange spanning more than 13 centuries, from the 8th century, especially over 50 years of cooperation and development, the Vietnam-Japan relationship is truly a trustworthy and closely-knit partner, increasingly developing in depth in many fields from politics, economics, trade, investment, to human resource cooperation, culture, education, science-technology, local exchange, people-to-people exchange, etc.

“These achievements are the result of the persistent efforts of the two countries and peoples through many historical periods, overcoming differences, going through ups and downs, working together to foster and build a friendly and cooperative relationship that has achieved great results,” affirmed Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai.

The Standing Secretary of the Secretariat also said that the development of the bilateral relationship is the legitimate aspiration and desire of the people of the two countries for peace, development and prosperity of Vietnam and Japan; actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Emphasizing that the 50-year milestone is an extremely favorable time for the two countries to look forward to new expectations in the future, the Standing Secretary of the Secretariat stated that, despite the complicated changes in the regional and global situation, Vietnam always considers Japan an important and long-term partner.

“We will together commit to building a trusting and substantive relationship in all fields, taking advantage of and promoting the strengths of each country, cooperating and complementing each other on the path of development. The most important thing is the will and sincerity between the two peoples,” emphasized Standing Secretary of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai, expressing her belief that with sincerity, connecting hearts between the people of the two countries, and with the support and consensus of the leaders of Vietnam and Japan, the two countries will “hand in hand” continue on the path to the future, cooperating more closely, cohesively and effectively.

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

At the ceremony, Crown Prince Akishino said that he and the Princess were extremely pleased to return to visit Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnamese State, on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic relations.

The Crown Prince affirmed that the friendship between Vietnam and Japan has been nurtured over a long history, spanning more than 1,000 years, including 50 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973.

According to Crown Prince Akishino, in recent times, exchange activities between the two countries have been extremely vibrant, especially exchanges between the two countries' young generations, typically international students. In addition, exchanges between localities of the two countries have also been extremely vibrant with events introducing Japanese-Vietnamese culture held in provinces and cities in both countries, helping many people have the opportunity to enjoy the unique features of each other's culinary culture.

It can be seen that the exchange between Japan and Vietnam has developed sustainably over the years, the cooperative relationship has become increasingly deep and extensive in many diverse fields such as economy, agriculture, environment, etc.

The Crown Prince expressed his hope that this visit to Vietnam will contribute to further strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Vietnam and Japan.

At the ceremony, Mr. To Huy Rua, Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, comprehensively reviewed the history of friendly relations between the two countries; said that Vietnam and Japan have many similarities in culture and history, contributing to making the two nations not only closer together, but also blending and complementing each other.

Along with that, the growth of the community of nearly 500,000 Vietnamese people in Japan and the community of nearly 30,000 Japanese people in Vietnam is a solid foundation for Vietnam-Japan relations.

Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association To Huy Rua affirmed that the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association have been and will continue to organize more people-to-people and cultural exchange activities to strengthen the friendship between organizations, localities and people of the two countries; in which priority is given to facilitating exchange programs for youth, students, and future owners of the two countries.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio also said that according to the latest survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Vietnam is the second most preferred destination in the world for Japanese businesses after the United States when considering countries and territories to expand their business in the future.

The Vietnamese community is the second largest foreign community in Japan. Vietnam also ranks second in the world in the number of international students in Japan, including 200,000 technical interns. The Ambassador emphasized that the young generation of Japan and Vietnam are actively working as a link between the two countries in many different fields, including information technology, high technology, business, and art; expressing his belief that the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will open up opportunities for the relationship to develop even more strongly.

In the warm and friendly atmosphere celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, Crown Prince Akishino, Princess and delegates from Vietnam and Japan raised their glasses to toast the strong development of the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership to new heights./.

Art performance to celebrate the Anniversary. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Secretariat , Head of the Central Organizing Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Truong Thi Mai with delegates visiting the photo exhibition. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Secretariat, Head of the Central Organizing Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Truong Thi Mai with delegates visiting the photo exhibition. (Photo: An Dang/VNA)