A Japanese organization is slated to cooperate with Vietnamese agency to launch a program aimed at calling for Japan’s large-scale investment to the Southeast Asian in the first half of this year.

At a meeting with Atsusuke Kawada, chief representative in Vietnam of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), in Hanoi on Tuesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke highly of the organization’s cooperation with Vietnamese partners to launch the program.

The program is intended to introduce Vietnam’s image, socio-economic development, investment environment as well as cooperation potential and opportunities to Japanese firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME), the Vietnam News Agency quoted the premier as saying.

PM Phuc underlined that Japanese SMEs’ creativity and high technology is of great importance for Vietnam’s startups.

The premier also expressed his hope that the two sides will work hard to make Japan the largest investor in Vietnam, thus contributing to socio-economic development of the country

He asked Vietnamese agencies to coordinate closely with JETRO to popularize partnership, investment and trade opportunities in Vietnam among the Japanese business community, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The Vietnamese head of government noted that the upcoming Vietnam visit of the Japanese Emperor and Queen is a good signal in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Japan is now Vietnam’s second-largest foreign investor, but Japanese companies were running as many as 549 projects in the Southeast Asian country in 2016, more than any other foreign investors, Atsusuke Kawada emphasized.

This indicates Japan’s interest in the Vietnamese market, he noted, adding that JETRO has received regular request for consultations by Japanese firms on investment in Vietnam.