Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, together with Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, paid a visit to late President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and fish pond on Thursday morning.

Their jaunt was taken after talks between the top Vietnamese official and Japan’s crown prince.

Vice-State President Xuan chaired a welcome ceremony for Akishino and Kiko at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Thursday morning.

The stilt house and fish pond are situated in the late President Ho Chi Minh relic site. These places were the late president’s living and working space.

The visit to the relic site was part of Akishino’s ongoing Vietnam trip, which will last until Monday next week.

Crown Prince Akishino, 58, is the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito. He was declared first in line to the chrysanthemum throne in 2020. This is the third time the Japanese crown prince has visited Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Akishino is set to meet other top Vietnamese officials such as Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and State President Vo Van Thuong during his Vietnam visit. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko are introduced to the history of late President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house, which was built in 1958. The house is 10.5 meters long and 6.2 meters wide. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (R), Japanese Crown Prince Akishino (C) and Crown Princess Kiko (L) are pictured feeding fish in late President Ho Chi Minh’s fish pond. The fish pond covers an area of more than 3,000 square meters. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino takes photos of the precinct of late President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

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Vietnam is determined to meet its commitment of a net-zero emission target by 2050 and support global health security priorities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told two United Nations summits in New York, the U.S., on Wednesday.

The Vietnamese leader kicked off his first activities at the United Nations headquarters by attending two summits on climate change response and preparations for future pandemics, as part of his seven-day trip to the U.S. for the high-level General Debate of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and other activities. 

Cutting emissions by 43.5 percent by 2030

Speaking at the UN Climate Ambition Summit, where leaders of countries and international organizations expressed their concern about the severe impacts of climate change, PM Chinh stressed that addressing climate change impacts requires a global and all-people approach, with more urgent and stronger actions.

The PM proposed accelerating a fair and just green energy transition, which takes people as its center and leaves no one behind.

Developed countries and international organizations should put the Loss and Damage Fund into operation at COP28 as committed to supporting developing and underdeveloped countries to overcome the consequences of climate change, Chinh told the summit. 

He also called for more assistance for developing countries and underdeveloped countries in developing green technologies, green finance, and renewable energy industries.

Many other delegates affirmed that responding to climate change is a shared responsibility, which requires every country to reduce the use of fossil fuels while making a fair green transition as soon as possible.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on high-emitting countries to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with developed countries and large emerging economies required to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and 2050, respectively. 

Sharing the same view, PM Chinh said Vietnam, with support from the international community, will strive to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43.5 percent by 2030 and obtain a renewable energy ratio of more than 70 percent by 2050.

“Even though being a developing country still facing many difficulties, Vietnam, with the spirit of supporting a green Earth, is determined to fulfill its commitment, raised at COP26, to achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” Chinh affirmed.

Supporting global health security priorities 

While attending the UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) on Wednesday afternoon, PM Chinh emphasized the extremely serious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He called on the international community to take action soon so that future generations do not have to suffer from similar terrible epidemics.

The PM proposed prioritizing increasing timely and equitable access to vaccines, improving the capacity of grassroots and preventive health, promoting transfer of vaccine and drug technologies, and providing financial support for developing and underdeveloped countries.

He affirmed that Vietnam supports making global health security a priority in all policies to help early detect, timely respond to and effectively drive back epidemics in the future.

From the COVID-19 experience, delegates called for increased international cooperation and coordination at the highest level to ensure equitable and timely access to pandemic-related medical products.

They also proposed removing trade barriers and strengthening supply chains to facilitate the transportation of vaccines, drugs and other public health products.

Delegates unanimously passed a political declaration on pandemic preparedness and response, and agreed to hold a high-level conference in 2026 to evaluate the implementation of the declaration.

This year’s HLM on PPPR was convened by the UN based on an initiative raised by Vietnam and some other countries and was approved by the UN General Assembly in September 2022.   

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Vietnamese Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan chaired a welcome ceremony for Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Thursday morning.

Akishino and Kiko arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Wednesday afternoon, beginning their official visit to Vietnam which will last until Monday next week.

The Japanese crown prince and Vice-State President Xuan held talks after the welcome ceremony.

Akishino’s Vietnam visit marks the 50th anniversary of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic ties.

This is the third time the Japanese crown prince has visited Vietnam.

His previous visits were made in 1999 and 2012.

Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (C), Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko (left side) pose for a photo. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Akishino and Kiko will attend a ceremony to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties on Thursday night, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of their trip, they will meet with State President Vo Van Thuong on Friday.

They and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang will attend the world premiere of “Princess Anio,” an opera which tells the love story between a Vietnamese princess and a Japanese merchant, at the Hanoi Opera House on Friday night.

The opera was jointly produced by the two nations to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, reported Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

Vice-State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (R) talks to Japanese Crown Prince Akishino. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Akishino and Kiko will fly to the central region of Vietnam on Saturday morning to join various activities in Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province.

The two top Japanese representatives will also meet Vietnamese people who had earlier studied and lived in Japan, according to the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam.

Japanese Ambassador in Vietnam Yamada Takio was cited by website japanvietnam50.org as saying that the two nations’ bilateral relationship has made the greatest-ever strides.

Japan sees Vietnam as one of its key partners in implementing its free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.

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