Tokyo: Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko said Friday that they hope to promote friendly relations with Vietnam during their visit to the Southeast Asian country from Wednesday.

“I would be happy if there is anything I can do to promote friendly relations between the two countries,” the Crown Prince told a press conference. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.

The Crown Princess said, “I will do my best to promote friendly relations between the two countries.”

Previously, the Crown Prince, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, and the Crown Princess visited Vietnam together in 1999.

Recalling his previous visit to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the Crown Prince said that it was a very lively city undergoing rapid development.

Regarding the significance of visiting a foreign country, the Crown Prince said he thinks there is a difference between meeting people in person and meeting them through a screen.

On the future of activities to promote international friendship, the Crown Prince said that his own generation will have retired in 30 years.

It is therefore important for the younger generation to play a role, he added, apparently bearing in mind his second daughter, Princess Kako, and his son, Prince Hisahito.

Also at the press conference, the Crown Prince said that Japan’s relations with Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries are “very important” and that “cultural exchanges will be particularly important.”

He said that there are wild breeds of chickens he studies and that giant catfish live in the Mekong River, adding that the presence of these species is one of the attractions of the region.

The press conference was postponed from Thursday as Prince Hisahito tested positive for COVID-19.

JIJI Press