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| Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai receives Mr. Takebe Tsutomu, Special Advisor to the Japan - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance. (Photo: VNA) |
At the meeting, Mr. Mai expressed his pleasure and respect for the efforts and enthusiasm of Mr. Takebe Tsutomu in joining hands with the city to prepare for the 8th Vietnam - Japan Festival, saying he believed that the festival's activities will take place successfully, contributing to maintaining and expanding the series of Vietnam - Japan Festivals over the past 10 years as a work of friendship, actively contributing to promoting and creating a brand name for cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan.
According to Mr. Phan Van Mai, this year, the city participates and contributes to the festival on a larger scale than previous years with the desire to cooperate with the Japanese Organizing Committee for a meaningful event worthy of the first activity of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. The highlight of the Festival is the typical product stall areas of Ho Chi Minh City; the city's tourism promotion area, Vietnam's art performance program, and seminars.
In particular, through the meeting between the city's leaders and Japanese businesses within the framework of this Festival, the city wishes to create more channels to share, call for and listen to the investment and cooperation plans of the businesses. This is also an opportunity to learn more about the development orientation of the city so that the two sides can exploit to the fullest the potential and opportunities for mutual cooperation.
For his part, Mr. Takebe Tsutomu affirmed that the city leaders' special attention to the 8th Vietnam - Japan Festival will contribute to the overall success of the Festival.
He expressed his confidence that the best initiative and preparation for the Festival will spread the culture of peace and friendship between Vietnam and Japan to the world community, and contribute to building the two countries' cooperative relationship to further develop, based on mutual respect and help.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City, the 8th Vietnam - Japan Festival in 2023 with the theme “Hold hands together - Towards the future – Reach out to the world” will introduce cultural and artistic features characteristics and meanings of Vietnam and Japan.
This is the first foreign cultural activity in 2023, within the framework of activities towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973 - 2023), in order to further affirm the extensive strategic partnership between the two countries, enhance cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Japan, contributing to promoting trade, investment, tourism, friendship and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.
The program is expected to include many cultural and art exchange activities between Vietnam and Japan, along with 150 booths of trade, cuisine and tourism participating in exhibitions, products, brands, and culinary culture as well as typical food of the two countries; and pavilions promoting tourism in Ho Chi Minh City and Japan.
The opening ceremony will take place on the morning of February 25, at Zone B, September 23 Park, Ho Chi Minh City./.