Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko will make an official visit to Vietnam in late September, Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Wednesday.
The couple will attend an event in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam, Japanese leading newspaper Jiji Press said, citing the Imperial Household Agency.
The Crown Prince, who is the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, and the Crown Princess were invited by the Vietnamese side through the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi earlier this month, according to Jiji Press. The couple will stay in Vietnam for around a week, and may meet with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong.
The trip will be the couple's third official visit to a foreign country since the Crown Prince became first in line to the throne. The days for the trip have not been finalized.
After the trip, the Vietnam Summit in Japan 2023 gathering experts in all fields from the two countries is set to be held on October 15 in Tokyo, as part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations.
The event is an important effort in building a sustainable partnership between Vietnam and Japan, reflecting the commitment to strengthen cooperation in many important areas, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu told a press briefing in Tokyo late this July about the summit, according to the Vietnam News Agency.