Japanese Ambassador expressed his impression of Vietnam

According to Ambassador Ito Naoki, the Vietnamese people are deeply proud of their national tradition, always respect, preserve and inherit culture, customs and practices imbued with their national identity.

About his feelings for the country, people, culture and economy of Vietnam, the Japanese diplomat said: “Since my term started last May, I have had abundant opportunities to meet with many Vietnamese people from different aspects of live, from leaders of the Party, Government, National Assembly, to representatives of enterprises, education and cultural organizations. I have visited 20 cities and provinces across the country from Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces in the North and Ca Mau province in the South.

“Via these contacts, I was impressed by the fact that Vietnamese people are extremely proud of their national traditions, always cherish and preserve as well as inherit the culture and customs imbued with national identity. A series of events related to ‘pho’ and ‘ao dai’ have proven this. Each region has its own rich nature and unique charm. Sometimes, I come across scenes that are very similar to Japan, such as the terraced fields in Sapa and Mu Cang Chai or the custom of pounding rice cakes made from green rice.

In terms of economics, Vietnam has achieved one of the highest economic growth rates among ASEAN countries and I feel that the Vietnamese people are very confident about the future. Japanese companies are also particularly interested in investing in Vietnam. I consider Vietnam as one of the ASEAN countries with the potential to soon achieve a GDP per capita exceeding $10,000.

Regarding Vietnam's foreign diplomatic policy, Ambassador Ito Naoki noted that over the past few years, Japan and Vietnam have continued to share strategic interests while a series of major geopolitical changes have continuously taken place in the international community. For Japan, Vietnam is an important partner in realizing the goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The ambassador reiterated  that in November 2023, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Japan and Vietnam  had upgraded  their bilateral ties to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World, "and quoted  Party General Secretary To Lam as affirming that Vietnam will play a more proactive, positive and responsible role to the international community.

“In the future, I was strongly convinced that Japan and Vietnam will play an even more important diplomatic role in ensuring peace and prosperity in Asia and the world,” the ambassador said.

According to Ambassador Ito Naoki,  within the framework of the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World,"  the bilateral relations between Japan and Vietnam have been progressing steadily in many fields and people-to-people exchange activities between the two countries have become more and more vibrant.