Mr. Azuma Masaru expressed his pleasure in welcoming the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee delegation for their visit and official discussions with the local government. He emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City’s visit reflects deep political trust, dynamic economic cooperation, and increasingly close people-to-people exchanges between the two regions. The relationship has grown even more significant following the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding signed between Ho Chi Minh City and Shiga Prefecture, focusing on collaboration in the fields of economy and industry.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Minh Thanh outlined the goal of expanding and elevating bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on sectors that align with Shiga’s strengths and Ho Chi Minh City’s development priorities in the new phase.
Ho Chi Minh City proposed that Shiga Prefecture jointly promote deeper cooperation in potential areas aligned with the capabilities of both localities. These include inviting experts from Shiga’s research institutes to collaborate on vocational training and the sharing of green technologies. The city also expressed its readiness to welcome small and medium-sized enterprises from Shiga to invest in the High-Tech Park, supporting industrial zones and the logistics center of Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, the two sides will coordinate the implementation of smart agriculture models and clean food production in suburban areas of Ho Chi Minh City, with particular focus on the Binh Duong, Cu Chi, and Can Gio areas.
Mr. Azuma Masaru highlighted Shiga Prefecture’s strengths in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water treatment technologies aimed at preserving the natural environment of Lake Biwa, a vital resource supporting Japan’s tourism and ecological sustainability. He noted that these efforts to protect Shiga’s natural ecosystem have been internationally recognized, with Lake Biwa designated as a World Heritage Site in 2025.
Reflecting the growing exchanges between the two localities and their complementary strengths and shared orientations, Shiga expressed its strong desire and readiness to deepen cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in potential areas. He further expressed confidence in the city’s recent completion of its two-tier local government organizational structure, believing that this new model will foster significant development for Ho Chi Minh City in the near future.
Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Minh Thanh expressed his confidence that, with the attention and guidance of Deputy Governor of Shiga Prefecture Azuma Masaru, the cooperative relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Shiga Prefecture will continue to develop substantively, bringing mutual benefits and contributing to the strengthening of the Vietnam-Japan friendship.
He also extended a cordial invitation to Shiga Prefecture to participate in upcoming international events organized by Ho Chi Minh City, including the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2025 (HEF, November 2025) and the 11th Vietnam-Japan Festival (JVF11, March 2026).
