Isao Iijima, a special adviser to the Japanese Prime Minister, made the statement at a meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong in the city on December 10.

He said the Japanese Government will continue cooperating and assisting the construction and development cause of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

The official reiterated Japan’s wish to make investment in Vietnam and asked the local authorities to provide more support for Japanese businesses in the city for mutual benefits.

Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said the two sides have co-organised a number of programmes in economics, culture, tourism, education and investment.

The southern metropolis will create the best conditions for Japanese firms to do long-term business, especially in the fields of infrastructure, transport, environment and clean agriculture, he added.

Earlier on December 9, Phong hosted a reception for Tsutomu Takebe, special adviser to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, who wished to host economic, culture, education, and tourism events with Ho Chi Minh City.