Attending the event were Mr. Ono Masuo - Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Muraoka Tsugumasa - Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture; Mr. Morita Muneharu - Member of Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly; Mr. Yoshida Mitsuhi - Chairman of the Executive Committee of Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly along with Yamaguchi Prefectural Businesses and Japanese partners.

 

On Binh Duong Province's side, attending were Mr. Nguyen Van Loi - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Leader of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Vo Van Minh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Nguyen Van Loc - Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Mai Hung Dung - Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Nguyen Van Danh - Chairman of the Provincial Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee.

The relationship between Binh Duong Province and Yamaguchi Prefecture was officially established on December 25, 2014, through a Friendly Cooperation Agreement. Over the past 10 years, the two localities have achieved many proud achievements in the fields of economics, education, culture, and people-to-people exchange. 

In the economic field, Japan is currently the second largest investor in Binh Duong, with 357 projects with a total capital of nearly 6 billion USD. Large enterprises like Tokyu, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Aeon Mall have contributed significantly to the development of local industry, high technology, and services. In addition, the two localities regularly organize trade promotion activities creating business cooperation opportunities for businesses.

Regarding education and research, Eastern International University (EIU) has established a cooperative relationship with Yamaguchi University to promote academic exchange and scientific research. Many programs to send technical interns from Binh Duong to Yamaguchi have been implemented helping to develop high-quality young human resources. 

Cultural exchange is also a bright spot in the cooperative relationship between the two localities. Events like the Japanese Cultural Festival in Binh Duong and the Viet Nam - Japan U13 Youth Football Tournament not only enhance mutual understanding but also strengthen the friendship between the people of the two localities. 

Especially, high-level visits between leaders of the two localities take place regularly, creating a solid foundation for bilateral relations. Particularly, it was the visit to Yamaguchi Prefecture by Secretary of the Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Loi in June 2023 and the visit to Binh Duong by the Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture in November 2023.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Minh emphasized that Binh Duong always values cooperation with Yamaguchi and wishes to further expand cooperation fields. This is not only a task but also an opportunity for Binh Duong to develop sustainably in the future. 

Introducing the achievements of Binh Duong Province, Mr. Vo Van Minh expressed his appreciation and thanks for the cooperation and contributions of foreign investors including Japanese investors to the socio-economic development as well as social responsibility activities of Japanese businesses in Binh Duong Province. This is an important premise for Binh Duong Province to continue promoting cooperation with Japanese partners in the fields of economics, investment, education, science and technology, health, cultural exchange, sports, and developing smart cities in the coming time.

 

Mr. Muraoka Tsugumasa - Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture affirmed that after 10 years of establishing friendly cooperative relations, despite the geographical distance, the leaders of the two localities have constantly paid attention to cultivating and tightening the cooperation relations between the two localities as well as promoting cooperation in all fields. The Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture emphasized that Viet Nam and Japan relations are making steady progress when the two sides have become comprehensive strategic partners. This is an important basis for the two localities to promote cooperation in the coming time.

 

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the two localities signed a MOU on strengthening friendly cooperation and a Working Agreement on dispatching and receiving personnel. This is the premise for Binh Duong and Yamaguchi to expand cooperation in the fields of science and technology; high-tech agriculture; education; healthcare; high-quality human resource development; sports and cultural exchange.