President Truong Tan Sang on February 18 received a high-level delegation from Japan’s Gunma Prefecture at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

Welcoming the delegation led by Governor Osawa Masaaki, President Sang thanked them for visiting on the occasion of the New Lunar Year and took the opportunity to extend his best wishes to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The President expressed his appreciation with regards to the recent signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the Gunma Prefecture and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

“The delegation's visit contributes significantly to strengthening Vietnam-Japan bilateral relations in general and Vietnam and Gunma prefecture in particular,” Sang told his guests.

He also thanked them for their support of the 3,000 Overseas Vietnamese studying and training in the province, saying their experiences would greatly benefit them and Vietnam upon their return home.

Mr Sang said he considered the establishment of the Gunma-Vietnam Friendship Association an effective mechanism to foster cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

For his part, Governor Osawa Masaaki revealed Gunma received many Vietnamese trainees in agriculture and industry and looks forward to future expanded cooperation opportunities between the two sides.

VOV