Thanh Hoá, March 29, 2026 – The Europe Today: Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Ito Naoki on Sunday on the sidelines of an investment promotion conference in Thanh Hoá Province.
During the meeting, the Vietnamese leader lauded the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for its strong, substantive, and effective development across multiple sectors. He highlighted the high level of political trust between the two countries, particularly in the context of increasingly complex regional and global dynamics.
Prime Minister Chính urged the ambassador to continue promoting Japanese investment projects in Vietnam, especially in Thanh Hoá Province, which he described as having significant potential for growth, notably in supply chain security and energy sectors.
He also expressed appreciation to Ambassador Ito and the large number of Japanese enterprises participating in the investment promotion conference.
Ambassador Ito Naoki, in turn, welcomed the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister in Thanh Hoá and noted that the province hosts several major Japanese-invested projects. These include the Nghi Sơn Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, Nghi Sơn Cement Plant, and Nghi Sơn Thermal Power Plant, which have significantly contributed to the socio-economic development of both the province and the country.
The ambassador affirmed that Japan and its business community would continue to prioritise investment in Thanh Hoá in particular and Vietnam more broadly, describing the country as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the region.
He also thanked the Vietnamese government for organising a dialogue with Japanese enterprises on March 21 and commended the strong support and favourable conditions provided by Thanh Hoá authorities to foreign investors.
Ambassador Ito further expressed hope for closer coordination between the two sides to effectively advance key joint initiatives, including the Nghi Sơn Refinery and Petrochemical Project and the Vietnam–Japan University project.
