Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang (right) confirms that Japan has been one of Hue's key partners for many years

On the morning of June 13th, Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang received and held talks with a delegation from Nara Prefecture, Japan, led by Fukutani Takeo, Vice Governor of Nara Prefecture, during their visit and working trip to Hue from June 12th to 15th. Representatives of relevant municipal departments and agencies also attended the meeting.

At the reception, Vice Chairman Tran Huu Thuy Giang expressed his pleasure in welcoming the Nara delegation to Hue and provided an overview of the city's notable socio-economic achievements, as well as its potential and strengths in culture, tourism, education, healthcare, and international cooperation.

Vice Chairman Tran Huu Thuy Giang emphasized that Japan has been one of Hue's important partners for many years. The city currently maintains effective cooperative relationships with numerous Japanese localities, organizations, and partners in the fields of cultural heritage preservation, education and training, healthcare, tourism, human resource development, and people-to-people exchanges. Many cooperative programs and projects have made positive contributions to local socio-economic development while strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

Based on the similarities in history, culture, and heritage systems shared by the two localities, Hue's leaders expressed their hope that this visit would provide momentum for deepening, expanding, and sustaining the friendship and cooperation between Hue and Nara. The two sides are expected to enhance delegation exchanges, strengthen connections among government agencies, educational institutions, cultural organizations, businesses, and local communities, while expanding cooperation in heritage preservation and promotion, sustainable tourism development, cultural and artistic exchanges, education and training, high-quality human resource development, and economic cooperation.

 Vice Chairman Tran Huu Thuy Giang (right) presenting a commemorative gift to Mr. Fukutani Takeo following the meeting

On behalf of the delegation, Vice Governor Fukutani Takeo thanked the leaders of Hue for their warm reception and expressed his admiration for the city's socio-economic achievements, as well as the unique cultural values and the long history of the Ancient Capital region.

According to Vice Governor Fukutani Takeo, Nara and Hue share many similarities as localities with rich historical traditions, distinctive cultural heritage systems, and important roles in preserving their respective nations' traditional cultural values. These common characteristics provide a strong foundation for enhanced cooperation in the future.

The Vice Governor of Nara Prefecture expressed his hope that the two sides would further promote cultural exchanges, delegation visits, educational cooperation, tourism development, and heritage preservation, while strengthening connections among universities, cultural organizations, businesses, and local residents. He also affirmed his commitment to continuing support for cooperation programs between Nara and Hue, contributing to the further development of Vietnam - Japan friendship.

At the meeting, both sides discussed future directions for cooperation, focusing on strengthening connections among institutions and organizations, promoting cultural exchange programs, academic exchanges, tourism development, and heritage conservation initiatives. These areas of cooperation are expected to broaden opportunities across multiple sectors while enhancing mutual understanding and ties between the people of the two localities.

During their stay in Hue, the Nara delegation is scheduled to participate in activities within the framework of Hue International Music Week 2026, one of the highlights of Hue Festival 2026. The event will also provide an opportunity for the two localities to strengthen cultural exchanges and share experiences in heritage preservation and promotion, tourism development, and cultural industries.

By LE THO