The recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and Japan's Mie prefecture has taken economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, and particularly with Mie, to a new level.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Muto Yoji co-chaired the 7th meeting of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Committee on Industry, Trade and Energy Cooperation in Tokyo on December 20.

Japan has invested in 5,369 projects worth US$76.76 billion in Vietnam as of the end of the second quarter this year, making it the third largest foreign investor in the country, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van told the 9th Vietnam-Japan Conference on Construction in Hanoi.

A ceremony was held in Mekong Delta province of Long An on December 15 to inaugurate the Vietnam-Japan Friendship House.

VOV.VN - The Vietnam-Japan U13 international teenager football tournament kicked off on December 12 in the southern province of Binh Duong.

The ongoing official visit to Japan by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse is expected to open up many opportunities for bilateral trade cooperation, said insiders.

A week-long Vietnam-Japan cultural programme officially commenced on the evening of December 1 atop Ba Den Mountain in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh, marking the first event of its kind in the region.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan held a ceremony on November 22 to present the Prime Minister's certificates of merit to Sojitz Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation in recognition of their contributions to Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation.

A visiting delegation from the Vietnam Association of Administrative Sciences (VASA) held a working session with Japan's National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo on November 7, where they shared experience and discussed research and training cooperation.

Vietnam considers Japan a top important and long-term partner, and supports Japan in playing an increasingly active role to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi during their phone talks on October 22.