HUẾ — Chairman of the Huế City People's Committee Nguyễn Văn Phương and Governor of Japan’s Nara prefecture Yamashita Makoto have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation between the two localities.

The signing took place on the occasion when the Japanese official is attending the 14th East Asia Local and Regional Government Congress held in the central city of Việt Nam.

According to the MoU, the two localities will encourage the development of mutually beneficial cooperation on the basis of respecting the characteristics of each locality, exchanging information, implementing cooperation activities in the fields of cultural exchange, tourism, health, cultural heritage preservation, labour - employment, agriculture, trade and investment, among others.

The two sides agreed to continue to coordinate in organising short-term exchange programmes for high school students; send teachers and organising cultural activities of the two localities; cooperate in teaching Japanese language in Huế and introducing Vietnamese culture in Nara.

The two sides will also cooperate to develop a digital learning platform and a Vietnamese-Japanese bilingual digital library; develop shared learning materials including books, videos, and digital lectures on Vietnamese-Japanese history and culture for students and teachers; share experiences in implementing AI, Internet of Things (IoT) in classrooms and in education management.

At the same time, they will strengthen cooperation in organising educational projects on cultural heritage, connecting Huế and Nara - two lands with many cultural heritages recognised by UNESCO.

Over the past time, Huế City has had effective cooperation with many localities in Japan. In terms of trade and investment, as of June 2025, there had been 20 foreign direct investment projects from Japan to Huế with a total registered capital of more than US$247 million. In particular, the AEON MALL Huế project of AEONMALL Vietnam Co Ltd with a total investment capital of more than US$169 million started operations in September 2024, marking a highlight in investment from Japanese investors to Huế City. — VNA/VNS