At the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between Hue City and Nara Provincial Government

Prioritize the factors of "heritage - culture - people"

One of the important foundations for Hue and Nara to move towards comprehensive cooperation is the similarity in development vision: Both aim to use heritage as a pillar of sustainable development.

In the meetings between the leaders of the two localities, the factor of “heritage - culture - people” is always given priority, along with the fields of investment, trade, health,education and climate change response. “We consider the relationship with Nara province not only an opportunity to expand international cooperation, but also a companion mechanism to jointly solve development problems in a volatile world. Localities, especially cities with cultural similarities, need to proactively connect and coordinate substantially to expand resources, share experiences and strengthen internal strength in the context of increasingly pressured budgets and public investment”, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City Nguyen Van Phuong shared.

Mr. Yamashita Makoto, Governor of Nara Prefecture, said: Nara wishes to cooperate with Hue in the field of preserving and promoting heritage values. Both localities possess unique heritages, recognized by UNESCO, and both face the challenge of how to keep heritage alive with modern life without being lost. This is a problem that no one can solve alone.

In agreement with this perception, the memorandum of understanding between Hue and Nara not only stops at promoting cultural exchange, but also aims to implement heritage education projects, develop Vietnamese-Japanese bilingual digital learning materials, build online learning libraries, and share experiences in preserving and digitizing documents. This is an important opportunity for the youth of the two countries to learn and preserve traditional cultural values ​​in an open space of cooperation.

In addition to the cultural and educational fields, the Hue - Nara cooperation model also suggests a new approach to labor - employment policies. According to the latest statistics, the Japanese market accounts for over 80% of the city's total labor exports. Many industries with high demand such as nursing, mechanical engineering, food processing, etc. can completely become areas of substantial cooperation between the two localities.

Hue City has been building an in-depth database of highly skilled workers, while encouraging Japanese language training at secondary schools and colleges, aiming to create human resources capable of working immediately at Japanese enterprises, or returning to start a business after working in the land of cherry blossoms.

Preserving the roots to step into the future

For the business community, the cooperative relationship between Hue and Nara is considered a positive signal, opening up new opportunities in the supply chain, especially in the context of Hue developing 6 industrial parks and the Chan May - Lang Co economic zone in an ecological, high-tech and environmentally friendly direction.

A bright spot in attracting investment from Japan in Hue is the AEON MALL - a project with a total investment of nearly 170 million USD, coming into operation from September 2024, bringing a large spillover effect on consumption, services and job opportunities. This is also a testament to the local government's strong policy of accompanying and reforming in selectively attracting foreign investment.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Hue being in the top 10 provinces and cities with the highest Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in the country in 2024 is a “positive signal from the market”. It proves that Hue not only has culture and heritage, but also has real growth potential if it has the support of international partners, including Japan and Nara Prefecture.

According to Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Van Phuc, the special thing about the Hue - Nara relationship is that both sides clearly affirm the proactive role of local authorities in implementing bilateral foreign policy, through official channels and people's diplomacy. The two sides proactively seek common ground, launch joint initiatives and promote specific programs. Local authorities play the role of a flexible and effective bridge in modern international relations.

It can be affirmed that the relationship between Hue and Nara is not the product of a signed document, but the resonance between two cultures, two development visions, two communities with the same aspiration to preserve their roots to step into the future.

Article and photos: THAI BINH

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/hop-tac-hue-nara-vi-su-phat-trien-ben-vung-155397.html