World News | Japanese Crown Prince Begins Vietnam Visit, Marking 50 Years of Diplomatic Relations

Hanoi (Vietnam), Sep 21 (AP) Japanese Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, met Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on Thursday as he started his visit to Hanoi marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

The visit by Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, comes at a time when Tokyo is pushing to deepen ties with Southeast Asia and other emerging nations to tackle regional and global challenges.

Also Read | 'Canada Is a Safe Country’: Canada Rejects India's Travel Advisory Amid Escalating Diplomatic Tension Over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Killing.

Akishino stressed the importance of ties between the two nations at a news conference in Japan last week and said, “I hope we can contribute as part of an effort to promote friendly relations between the two countries.”

The couple also laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Vietnam's first president, Ho Chi Minh, and are scheduled to meet President Vo Van Thuong before travelling to Hoi An in central Vietnam.

Also Read | Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Refused 'Presidential Suite' at Hotel During His Visit to India for G20 Summit 2023, Say Sources.

The trip is Akishino's third to Vietnam after earlier visits in 1999 and 2012.

Bilateral trade between the two countries was nearly USD 50 billion last year, making Japan the fourth-largest trading partner for Vietnam.

The couple's visit comes three months after Emperor Naruhito and his wife Masako visited Indonesia, this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as ASEAN and Japan mark 50 years of friendship. Japan is Indonesia's largest provider of official development assistance, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)