Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko arrived in Hanoi Wednesday afternoon for an official visit as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the royal couple will visit for six days (September 20 to 25) at the invitation of the state.
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Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko in Tokyo, Japan, 2020. |
It will mark their first foreign trip since Covid occurred and also the first by any member of the Japanese royal family to Vietnam in six years.
Akishino visited Vietnam in 1999 and 2021.
He is the younger brother and heir presumptive of Emperor Naruhito.
There is high political trust between Vietnam and Japan and they have increasingly developed closer ties in the Asia-Pacific region and share common views on many regional and international issues, according to the ministry.
Japan is Vietnam's leading economic partner: It is the biggest provider of official development aid, second largest employer of Vietnamese labor, third biggest investor and tourism market, and fourth biggest trade partner.
Bilateral trade was worth nearly US$48 billion last year, with Vietnam's exports amounting to $24.2 billion.
They have signed a slew of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements.
Source: VnExpress
