On September 6, 2026, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Japan Pham Quang Hieu attended a series of activities held as part of the Viet Nam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum 2026 in Hue City.

The Viet Nam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum 2026 was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam and the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan, in coordination with the Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam and the People’s Committee of Hue City, under the theme “Shaping a Digital, Green and Sustainable Future: From Strategic Commitments to Substantive Action.” The event was attended by Politburo Member and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung; Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung; leaders of Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities; Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Ito Naoki; Governor of Nara Prefecture Yamashita Makoto; and representatives of localities, organizations, associations and businesses from the two countries.

The Forum was an important international local-level cooperation event aimed at concretizing the common understanding reached by the high-level leaders of the two countries on strengthening local cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, human resource connectivity and substantive cooperation within the framework of the Viet Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It also served as a dialogue and networking mechanism between localities of the two countries, providing an opportunity for the two sides to share experience, introduce their potential and cooperation needs, and directly discuss concrete programs and projects.

As part of the Forum’s activities, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu attended Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s meeting with Japanese businesses, during which proposals and recommendations from the Japanese business community regarding cooperation and investment in Viet Nam were heard. He also attended the signing ceremony of the Plan of Action between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hue City for the 2026–2030 period, aimed at strengthening coordination in external affairs and international integration, thereby contributing to the effective implementation of Hue City’s development goals in the new period. In addition, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu and Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee Le Tri Thanh co-chaired the Hue–Japan Networking Conference 2026, which sought to enhance connections between Hue City and Japanese agencies, organizations, localities, associations, universities, medical institutions, enterprises and investors, while introducing Hue’s potential, advantages, development orientation and cooperation needs in the new period.

On the sidelines of the Forum, more than 40 direct working sessions and networking meetings were held between localities, organizations and businesses of the two countries. In addition, an exhibition area displaying photos and signature local products from Viet Nam and Japan was opened, helping vividly showcase the images, potential and cooperation strengths of localities from both countries. These activities contributed to making Viet Nam–Japan local cooperation increasingly in-depth, substantive and effective, thereby making a practical contribution to further deepening the Viet Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new stage of development.

Through the series of activities held within the framework of the Viet Nam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum 2026, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan continued to affirm its active role as a bridge in promoting cooperation between localities of the two countries, connecting governments, businesses, educational institutions, research institutes and communities.