This was the sixth talks between the two government leaders in the past two years and the second in 2023.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio in Tokyo on December 16, as part of his trip to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and have bilateral activities in the East Asian country.

The government leader called for simplifying procedures towards visa exemptions for Vietnamese citizens entering Japan, thereby strengthening the two sides’ tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

The forum was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Chairman of the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Nikai Toshihiro, Governor of Tokyo Koike Yuriko, and leaders of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) in Tokyo on December 16.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 16 attended a Vietnam-Japan economic forum in Tokyo as part of his ongoing trip to the East Asian country for attendance at the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities.

Vietnam is one of the first 63 countries to join the Global Cooling Pledge proposed by President of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) Sultan Al Jaber within the framework of COP28 recently held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

Vietnam has secured the title of the World’s Leading Heritage Destination 2023 at the World Travel Awards. This is the fourth time the country has received the honor.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a working trip to the Japanese prefecture of Gunma on December 15, immediately after arriving in Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities there.

Dutch and Vietnamese businesses need to enhance cooperation, particularly increasing investment in green and sustainable areas prioritised by Việt Nam.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang visited and congratulated the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City on December 15, ahead of the 2023 Christmas season and New Year 2024.

The recent Vietnam visit by the high-level Chinese delegation has showed the high regards that the Party, State and people of China, especially General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, hold for their Vietnamese counterparts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a workshop on 50 years of relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands, and their achievements and prospects, in Hanoi on December 15, as part of activities marking the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

Military Hospital 103 of the Vietnam People's Army and Central Military Hospital 103 of the Lao People's Army joined hands to conduct nine successful kidney transplants from December 31, 2022 to December 15, 2023, heard a ceremony held in Vientiane on December 15.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a working trip to the Japanese prefecture of Gunma on December 15, immediately after arriving in Japan to attend the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and bilateral activities there.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has stressed the need to develop the defence industry into a spearhead in the national industry, serving as both the backbone and the leading force of the sector.

Gunma has the largest number of Vietnamese people in proportion to the local population in Japan, with a community of 12,000 Vietnamese nationals. 

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam plays an important role in Japan’s policy on ASEAN as well as its efforts to maintain order in the Indo-Pacific, stated Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

A conference to seek ways to tap resources of overseas Vietnamese (OV) and connect localities and businesses is scheduled to take place in the northern port city of Hai Phong from December 26 to 28, heard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regular press conference in Hanoi on December 14.