The meeting was attended by representatives from various departments of Can Tho City, the diplomatic representative office of Japan in Vietnam, the business delegation from Nasushiobara City, and organizations such as JICA, JETRO, JCCH, as well as representatives from the Vietnamese-Japanese business community.

On this occasion, the leaders of both sides signed and announced a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Can Tho City and Nasushiobara City within the framework of the Vietnam-Japan Festival in 2023 and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. Through this memorandum of understanding, the friendly relations between Vietnam and Japan will be further strengthened and developed. It will contribute to a better understanding of each other's culture, potential, and investment environment, and serve as a foundation to enhance economic cooperation between Can Tho City and Japanese partners, achieving the set goals. Specifically, the activities aim to introduce the beauty of Vietnam, particularly Can Tho City, in terms of images, the country, and its people through cultural and artistic exchanges, promote product and service promotion, seek partners, expand business, and attract Japanese investment to Can Tho City.

The memorandum of understanding emphasizes the potential for cooperation between Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and Can Tho City, especially in the fields of tourism and agriculture. According to statistics, agriculture in the Mekong Delta region has been continuously growing due to effective exploitation of its potential and advantages. It has achieved remarkable development achievements, making a significant contribution to the overall agricultural growth of the country, ensuring national food security, and exporting agricultural products. Therefore, Vietnam desires that through this foundation of cooperation, agriculture can be developed towards modernization, integrating advanced technology, and creating unique agro-tourism products in Can Tho City specifically, and the Mekong Delta region in general. In doing so, both parties can support each other's strengths and align with the cooperative development needs of both localities.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Tran Viet Truong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, expressed his joy in completing the signing of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation with Mr. Watanabe Michitaro, Mayor of Nasushiobara City, and together they discussed ways to effectively and promptly implement the agreed-upon cooperative contents. Starting from the two main sectors of agriculture and tourism, but with the advantages, capabilities, and practical needs of each party, Chairman Tran Viet Truong stated his full confidence that in the future, both Can Tho City and Nasushiobara City will have many opportunities to expand cooperation in other areas such as trade, investment, and more. This will build a relationship between the two localities as mutually supportive and complementary, fostering sustainable development together.

Additionally, Mr. Tran Viet Truong shared that after a long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the People's Committee of Can Tho City is organizing the Vietnam-Japan Festival in 2023, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. Therefore, the People's Committee of Can Tho City believes that besides the signing of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation, this festival will meet the cultural exchange, economic cooperation, trade, and investment needs between businesses and people of both countries. It will be a good opportunity for businesses in the Mekong Delta region and the whole country to participate in showcasing products, access Japanese business culture, expand business activities, and connect trade with Japanese investors.

Mr. Watanabe Michitaro expressed his joy as he and the delegation from Nasushiobara City visited Can Tho City. According to Mr. Watanabe Michitaro, now that the two cities have established a connection through the memorandum of understanding on cooperation, the next step is to support businesses from both cities in collaborating in trade and commerce. He believes that this cooperation will bring benefits to both sides and aim towards the common goal of better development together. The Mayor of Nasushiobara City expressed gratitude to Can Tho City for providing the opportunity for the delegation to introduce Nasushiobara City at the Vietnam-Japan Festival in 2023. He hopes that through this event, the people of Can Tho City will have the opportunity to learn more about Nasushiobara City and have wonderful experiences. Mr. Watanabe Michitaro mentioned that Nasushiobara City and Can Tho City have exchanged a bilateral memorandum of understanding in the fields of tourism and agriculture, which are the key sectors for both cities. To further enhance the development of both cities, the Mayor of Nasushiobara City intends to promote the exchange of local specialty products, establish flights, organize tours between Nasushiobara and Can Tho, facilitate human resource training cooperation, and create job opportunities for the people.

The delegates took commemorative photos together.