Ha Noi, Fukuoka Prefecture sign MoU on enhancing cooperation

This agreement serves as a basis for intensifying comprehensive, practical, and effective bilateral cooperation between Ha Noi and Fukuoka.

Under the agreement, the parties identified the leads to promote exchanges.

On Ha Noi's side, it will be the Department of Foreign Affairs, and on Fukuoka's side, it will be the International Relations Bureau. Specialized agencies in each specific field will be responsible for exchanges to further develop the cooperative relationship.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh affirmed that Ha Noi always values its cooperative relationship with Japanese localities, especially Fukuoka Province.

"After 15 years of construction and development, the relationship between Hanoi and Fukuoka has gained a high level of trust and understanding, with extensive cooperation in many fields, contributing positively to the economic and social development of each locality," emphasized Thanh.

Specifically, in the field of environment, the Fukuoka Waste Landfill Project, which utilizes high-efficiency gasification technology at the Xuan Son Waste Treatment Area with an area of about 3 hectares, has been in operation since 2015. It has proven to be effective in waste treatment and environmental protection, with a capacity to handle about 240 tons per day.

From 2010 to the end of 2023, the Fukuoka Prefecture's authorities have organized 14 training courses for over 40 local officials to enhance management capabilities in environmental issues.

Cooperation in agriculture has also been a highlight between the two regions, with notable activities such as the Ha Noi-Fukuoka Agriculture Promotion Seminar in 2018 and a training program in 2018 for officials from Ha Noi's districts and towns to study the experience of high-tech agriculture development in Fukuoka Province.

In terms of education and training, from 2012 to date, Ha Noi has annually hosted 40 to 60 students from Fukuoka, while sending 20 students from Ha Noi to Japan for study, cultural exchange, and mutual learning. This program has played a meaningful role in enhancing understanding and cultural exchange between the young generations of the two localities.

In the cultural and people-to-people exchange sphere, events such as "Ha Noi Cultural Days in Fukuoka," "Fukuoka Cultural Days in Ha Noi," and "Viet Nam and Ha Noi Festival" in Fukuoka, organized on the occasion of the milestone anniversaries, have successfully contributed to promoting cultural awareness and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

In 2023, the two regions successfully coordinated activities to commemorate the 15th anniversary, with an official delegation from Ha Noi led by Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, visiting Fukuoka in November 2023.

Building on this foundation, Thanh emphasized that the current visit of the high-level delegation from Fukuoka to Ha Noi is of great significance. It provides an opportunity for the leaders of both regions to exchange views, assess cooperation results, and set directions to enhance the effectiveness of implementation for the next five years.

Seizing this opportunity, Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh called for expanding cooperation in the fields of health and trade, as well as maintaining and enhancing traditional collaboration in education, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties.

Governor Hattori Seitaro highly appreciated the suggestions of Chairman Tran Sy Thanh and mentioned that Fukuoka Province currently has four medical universities. This presents an opportunity for exchanges and cooperation to improve healthcare quality for both localities./.