On the afternoon of November 12, a delegation from Niki Town, Hokkaido Prefecture (Japan), led by Mr. Sato Seiichiro, the Town Mayor, was received for a working session in Tuyen Quang province. The delegation included Mr. Matsuo Tomoyuki, President of the Japan-Vietnam Culinary Association.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Thu, Director of the Tuyen Quang Department of Foreign Affairs, delivers a welcoming speech
Designated as the lead agency by the Provincial People's Committee, the Tuyen Quang Department of Foreign Affairs hosted the meeting, ensuring full coordination with representatives from various provincial departments and agencies. Addressing the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Trung Thu, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, warmly welcomed the delegation. He provided the delegates with a basic overview of the province's geography, economy, and social status following administrative consolidation. Notably, he highlighted the positive outcomes of Tuyen Quang’s recent foreign affairs efforts with international partners, particularly those in Japan.
Tuyen Quang province has previously engaged in delegate exchanges and friendship activities with Morya City in Ibaraki Prefecture and Oita Prefecture, Japan. Currently, the province hosts two investment projects by EREX Corporation, including The EREX SAKURA Tuyen Quang Biomass Fuel Plant Project, a joint investment with SAKURA Green Energy Joint Stock Company, with a total capital of nearly US$ 18.25 million, focusing on producing biomass pellets and wood chips. The second project is The Technical Infrastructure Investment Project for Xuan Van Industrial Cluster, which has received Investment Policy Approval and investor acceptance from the Provincial People's Committee, and is currently undergoing site clearance.
In terms of aid, the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam has sponsored three projects in healthcare, education infrastructure, and solar power within the province, totaling nearly US$ 270,000 in aid value. Furthermore, several Japanese NGOs (such as CSR2, NPO AVEUE, and AEFA) are actively implementing development aid to support education and rural development, leveraging the province's available resources.
Mr. Sato Seiichiro, Mayor of Niki Town, Hokkaido (Japan), and Head of the Delegation, speaks at the meeting
Mr. Sato Seiichiro expressed optimism that the meeting would create numerous new cooperation opportunities for Tuyen Quang and its Japanese partners, especially with Niki Town. These opportunities are expected to focus on economic development, agriculture, tourism, culture, human resources, and community development.
Both parties agreed on maintaining regular information exchange and designating specific liaison officers to discuss and develop a detailed cooperation program across the discussed fields. The Tuyen Quang Department of Foreign Affairs is prepared to serve as the main connector, offering support and necessary procedural guidance to effectively implement future cooperation activities, notably the establishment of a local-level relationship between Niki Town and Yen Minh Commune.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Thu, Director of the Tuyen Quang Department of Foreign Affairs, presents a souvenir to Niki Town Mayor Sato Seiichiro
Mr. Sato Seiichiro, Mayor of Niki Town, expressed his pleasure at visiting and working in Tuyen Quang province. On behalf of the delegation, he thanked the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs and other provincial agencies for their warm and careful reception. Mayor Sato emphasized Niki Town's strengths, which include cultivating various fruits like cherries, apples, and grapes, as well as flowers, operating wineries, and developing tourism services.
The delegation noted that Tuyen Quang province, particularly Yen Minh Commune, shares significant cultural similarities. He suggested areas for cooperation, including high-quality labor training, cultivation for export of buckwheat seeds, wild mint honey, Shan Tuyet tea, and medicinal plants, alongside connecting agricultural and community tourism. Mayor Sato Seiichiro pledged to use his capacity to the fullest extent to act as a crucial bridge for the in-depth and effective cooperation between Niki Town and localities in Tuyen Quang province.
Nguyen Thanh Hieu
From a Vietnamese news on tuyenquangonline
