President Nguyen Minh Triet Friday said that besides economic cooperation, cultural exchange activities play an important role in strengthening solidarity and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.

He was speaking while receiving the General Secretary of the Japan-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Association (JVCA), Tsutsui Toyoharu, in Hanoi Friday.

Triet said he was pleased with the development of bilateral relations in recent years, noting that they have served as the basis for settling issues arising between the two countries in an amicable manner.

He highly valued Toyoharu’s efforts in encouraging Japan’s small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in Vietnam in his capacity as CEO and General Director of the Capital Partners Securities Company.

Triet affirmed that Vietnam always welcomes foreign investors, including those from Japan, and wished that Toyoharu would continue calling for further Japanese investment in the country.

The JVCA General Secretary said that his association will continue strengthening cultural exchange activities between the two countries and stressed his hope for long-term cooperation with Vietnam.

In addition to the Japanese government’s official development assistance, capital inflows from Japanese SMEs are very important for Vietnam’s development, he said.

He expressed his belief that the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement will open new opportunities for bilateral trade and investment cooperation, laying a firm foundation for the two countries to fulfill their goal of forming a strategic partnership set by high-ranking leaders in 2006.

Source: VNA