Japanese Crown Prince Akishino, the youthful brother of Emperor Naruhito, has met Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan as he began his go to to Hanoi marking the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the 2 nations
ByHAU DINH Related Press
September 21, 2023, 1:11 AM
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Vietnam’s Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan shake arms on the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Picture/Minh Hoang)
The Related Press
HANOI, Vietnam — Japanese Crown Prince Akishino, the youthful brother of Emperor Naruhito, met Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on Thursday as he began his go to to Hanoi marking the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the 2 nations.
The go to by Akishino and his spouse, Crown Princess Kiko, comes at a time when Tokyo is pushing to deepen ties with Southeast Asia and different rising nations to deal with regional and international challenges.
Akishino confused the significance of ties between the 2 nations at a information convention in Japan final week and mentioned, “I hope we will contribute as a part of an effort to advertise pleasant relations between the 2 nations.”
The couple additionally laid a wreath on the mausoleum of Vietnam’s first president, Ho Chi Minh, and are scheduled to fulfill President Vo Van Thuong earlier than touring to Hoi An in central Vietnam.
The journey is Akishino’s third to Vietnam after earlier visits in 1999 and 2012.
Bilateral commerce between the 2 nations was almost $50 billion final yr, making Japan the fourth-largest buying and selling associate for Vietnam.
The couple’s go to comes three months after Emperor Naruhito and his spouse Masako visited Indonesia, this yr’s chair of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations, as ASEAN and Japan mark 50 years of friendship. Japan is Indonesia’s largest supplier of official growth help, in response to Japan’s International Ministry.
