Vietnam attaches importance to Japan’s direct investment and rolls out the red carpet to welcome Japanese businesses, including those from Toyama prefecture. Vietnamese ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung made the statement at an economic workshop on Vietnam held in Toyama prefecture on August 30. The ambassador spoke highly of Toyama’s industrial achievements in recent times, as well as the great potential cooperation between Vietnam and Toyama. More than 100 local businesses attending the workshop were introduced to Vietnam’s investment environment and human resources. At a reception given by the prefecture’s governor Toyama Takakazu Ishii, Hung confirmed that not only the government but also localities of Vietnam place strong emphasis on strengthening cooperative ties with Japan, and bilateral relationship is entering the best period ever. He said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe selected Vietnam for his first overseas trip after taking office showed his resolve to boost cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation. The ambassador expressed his hope that the governor will visit Vietnam some times in the future to explore the opportunity for cooperation. He also proposed the prefecture create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in Toyama, and local businesses to receive Vietnamese apprentices. For his part, Ishii said that up to 250 Toyama businesses have invested in China and Southeast Asia and many of them are shifting their production bases from India and Thailand to Indonesia and Vietnam. He appreciated the preferences that the government of Vietnam has offered to Japanese businesses, which make Toyama businesses feel at ease. Toyama has hundreds of small- and medium-sized enterprises mostly specialising in support industries – an area that Vietnam is in dire need of. Hung’s three-day trip to Toyama prefecture is part of activities to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan in 2013. On August 29, the diplomat visited the Kuroda Electric Co. Ltd. that has received and trained 10 Vietnamese apprentices for the past three years. The company manufactures thermoplastic components for office machines such as printers, fax machines, projectors and components for hybrid electric vehicles. It has invested in an industrial zone in Vietnam’s Hai Duong province since 2006. Recently, it invested in building a new factory in Hanoi covering an area of ​​1.5 ha, 3 times larger than the Hai Duong plant. VOV