Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives leaders of several major Japanese economic groups.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated AEON's positive and effective contributions to the development of the retail and export sectors in Vietnam, and welcomed the cooperation activities of Hiroshima University in the field of human resource training - one of Vietnam's strategic breakthroughs.

Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính tiếp lãnh đạo một số tập đoàn kinh tế lớn của Nhật Bản

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives AEON Group Executive Chairman Akio Yoshida. (Source: VGP)

On the occasion of attending the expanded G7 Summit and working in Japan, on the morning of May 20, in Hiroshima city, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received leaders of several large Japanese economic groups.

Proposing AEON to choose Vietnam as a business base

At the meeting with AEON Group Executive Chairman Akio Yoshida, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Vietnam has five important fundamental factors that AEON and other investors can expand their investment and business in Vietnam: Vietnam identifies consumption as one of the growth drivers; has a market of more than 100 million people, a young population and a growing number of middle-class people, striving to become a high-income country by 2030; Vietnam - Japan relations are increasingly developing well; Japanese goods are popular with Vietnamese people; Vietnamese goods are abundant, with strengths in food, foodstuffs, textiles, footwear, etc. and are being greened, in line with the world's general consumption trends.

The Prime Minister suggested that AEON choose Vietnam as the Group's business base in the world. AEON continues to invest in more shopping centers and Outlet areas in suburban areas, combining shopping with entertainment; investing in building shopping centers not only in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Thua Thien Hue, Can Tho, Thanh Hoa as at present but also expanding to provinces, cities and regions with high per capita income, large population, and service and tourism centers such as Quang Ninh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Tay Nguyen, Khanh Hoa, An Giang...

The Prime Minister also asked AEON to increase imports, bringing Vietnamese goods into the global supply chain, especially those in which Vietnam has strengths such as textiles, footwear, seafood, food and foodstuffs. Vietnam is building brands for its products; investing in synchronous logistics services, creating favorable conditions, and reducing costs for products. In particular, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked AEON Group to grant scholarships to students and participate in training human resources for Vietnam.

For his part, Mr. Yoshida said that up to now, Vietnam is the country where AEON has invested the most in the world, with more than 1.18 billion USD. AEON has opened 6 shopping centers in major provinces and cities of Vietnam such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Thua Thien Hue, etc.

Agreeing with the opinions of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, AEON Executive Chairman affirmed that in the coming time, the Group will develop about 20 shopping malls in Vietnam, focusing on supermarket and entertainment business. In addition, AEON will also expand the import of Vietnamese goods for distribution at more than 20,000 shopping malls in Japan. AEON will also provide scholarships to support Vietnam in human resource training as requested by the Prime Minister.

Promoting cooperation in education and human resource training

Also on the morning of May 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh worked with Professor Mitsuo Ochi, President of Hiroshima University; Mr. Matsumoko Kazuhisa, General Director of Satake Group; Mr. Yamassaka Tetsuro, Chairman of Balcom Group and leaders of 7 enterprises in the Central-Southern region of Japan.

On behalf of the delegation, Professor Ochi discussed the topic of promoting cooperation in the fields of education, human resource training, smart urban development, carbon neutrality, semiconductor development, digital agriculture, livestock farming, building rice production standards, responding to drought, saltwater intrusion, etc.

Professor Ochi hopes to continue receiving support from the Vietnamese Government, ministries and localities to organize business delegations to explore investment opportunities and promote cooperation in these areas. The President of Hiroshima University also highly appreciated Vietnamese students studying abroad as well as Vietnam's human resources in general, saying that to date, 343 Vietnamese people have graduated from this school.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the cooperation activities of Hiroshima University with Vietnam in the field of human resource training - one of Vietnam's strategic breakthroughs; as well as the activities connecting businesses in the Central and Southern regions of Japan with Vietnam in recent times, especially in the fields in which Japan has experience and strengths, and Vietnam has demand and potential.

Vietnam and Japan are currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, in the context of the relationship between the two countries being at its best ever, based on the extensive strategic partnership and the tradition of exchange and cooperation dating back hundreds of years. In recent times, the number of Vietnamese people in Japan has increased rapidly, now reaching nearly 500,000 people.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that the two governments always support bilateral cooperation activities, including those of enterprises, which are increasingly practical and effective. The Prime Minister highly appreciated the initiative of Hiroshima University and enterprises in the Central-Southern region of Japan to promote cooperation with Vietnam in the coming time, especially in the fields of agriculture, training, human resource development, digital transformation, green transformation, climate change response, knowledge economy, circular economy, private hospitals, etc. The Prime Minister hoped that Hiroshima University would research and open training facilities and branches in Vietnam.

The Prime Minister asked businesses in the Central-Southern region of Japan to continue to closely coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka and relevant ministries, sectors and agencies to soon realize cooperation and investment ideas, contributing to promoting the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries to become increasingly deeper, more substantial and effective.

The Vietnamese Government pledges to support and create favorable conditions for Japanese enterprises in general and enterprises in the Central-Southern region of Japan in particular in the process of cooperation and investment in Vietnam.

Promoting Block B gas exploitation project in June 2023

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also received leaders of Mitsui Corporation - a member of the joint venture of investors in Vietnam's Block B - O Mon Gas Project.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Mr. Hirotaka Hamamoto, Chairman of Mitsui Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company. (Source: VGP)

At the meeting, Mr. Hirotaka Hamamoto, Chairman of Mitsui Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company, said that Mitsui has participated in the Block B - O Mon gas project since the early days and has pursued the project for over 20 years; requested Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to direct the resolution of difficulties to complete negotiations, sign contracts for gas purchase, transportation, and consumption... according to the Prime Minister's viewpoint of "harmonized benefits, shared risks", to promote the Block B gas exploitation project in June 2023.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed regret that the Block B gas exploitation project has been stalled for many years; welcomed Mitsui for pursuing the project, even when some partners changed their investment direction; and said that this is one of the projects that the Prime Minister has paid attention to, directed strongly, and urged to promote over the past 2 years to completely resolve the problems that have lasted for more than 20 years. However, the implementation progress of relevant ministries, branches, agencies and units is still delayed, but the problems will definitely be resolved in the near future.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed Mitsui's efforts to accelerate the project's completion in June 2023; hoped that gas from Block B would soon serve Vietnam's O Mon thermal power plants; and suggested that Mitsui continue to cooperate and invest in Vietnam, especially in the field of developing green and clean energy, in line with global trends and helping Vietnam achieve its goal of reducing emissions to zero by 2050.

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