Vietnam president arrives in Tokyo for official visit

By VNA November 26, 2023 | 06:05 am PT

President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Sunday evening (local time), starting their official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese State.

President Vo Van Thuong (L) and his wife Phan Thi Thanh Tam arrive at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Nov. 26, 2023. Photo by VNA

The delegation was welcomed at the airport by Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio and his wife, officials of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu and his wife, staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan.

The visit takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

As scheduled, President Thuong will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, meet with the Japanese Emperor and Empress, and high-ranking leaders of the host country. He is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Japanese National Diet.

The Vietnamese leader will attend a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations and engage in other important activities.

He is also due to visit Fukuoka prefecture and have various activities there.

Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic relations on Sept. 21, 1973. The countries upgraded ties to strategic partnership in 2009, and to extensive strategic partnership in 2014.

Japan is one of Vietnam's most important economic partners, being its biggest ODA sponsor, second biggest partner in terms of labor cooperation, third in terms of investment and tourism, and fourth in trade.

Bilateral trade revenues reached nearly US$50 billion last year, including $24.2 billion of Vietnam exports.