The Japan-Vietnam Peace and Friendship Promotion Council (JVPF) has actively contributed to promoting relations between the two countries’ governments and peoples.

This remark was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Doan Xuan Hung at an annual meeting to review JVPF’s activities in the 2011 fiscal year in Tokyo on May 26.

He added that the Council has built a care centre for child victims of Agent Orange in the northern province of Thai Binh, established Murayama Japanese teaching school in Ho Chi Minh City and held a wide range of cultural and sports exchange activities.

To recognize its great contributions, in September 2007, JVPF President Murayama was granted the friendship order by the Vietnamese President.

Ambassador Hung also expressed his sympathy to Japanese victims of the severe earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. He praised the Japanese people for their iron will and determination to recover after the twin disasters.

He hailed JVPF’s organising a charity concert to raise funds for these victims and inviting the Vietnamese Lotus Dance Troupe to perform in Northeastern Japan in October 2011.

The diplomat asked for the Council’s cooperation in celebrating the upcoming 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan in 2013.

JVPF President Murayama expressed his belief that Vietnam will strongly develop to become a key ASEAN member, and that the closeness between the two nations will not only bring mutual benefits but also contribute to peace, development and prosperity in the region.

He will lead a group of 30 students from Meiji University to Hanoi this year to perform in a September concert.

Established in October 1999, JVPF aims to promote exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries.

Source: VNA