On June 12, 2026, at the headquarters of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), Governor Pham Duc An met with a delegation from the Embassy of Japan led by H.E. Ito Naoki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam.
Governor Pham Duc An meets with Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam
At the meeting, Governor Pham Duc An highly appreciated the positive and substantive development of the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across various fields, as well as Japan’s significant contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and international integration process.
In the banking sector, cooperation between the two countries has been maintained in a close and effective manner for many years. The SBV and Japanese financial and monetary authorities, including the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FSA), have implemented numerous practical cooperation activities under bilateral agreements while coordinating effectively through multilateral forums and cooperation mechanisms.
The Governor emphasized that Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important economic partners, the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA), and among the country’s leading investors, trading partners, and tourism markets. As the authority responsible for monetary policy management, the SBV will continue to conduct monetary policy in a proactive, flexible and effective manner to support macroeconomic stability, control inflation, and create a favorable environment for sustainable economic growth. These efforts will help strengthen the confidence of foreign investors, including Japanese investors, particularly as Vietnam seeks substantial capital resources to achieve double-digit economic growth during its new development phase.
The Governor also acknowledged and highly appreciated the effective operations of Japanese credit institutions in Vietnam, their compliance with Vietnamese regulations, and their contributions to promoting trade and investment connectivity as well as supporting the development of the banking sectors of both countries.
Furthermore, Governor Pham Duc An expressed his hope for Ambassador Ito Naoki’s support in promoting cooperation between the SBV and Japanese agencies and organizations in areas such as technical assistance, experience sharing, and human resource development, particularly in digital transformation, digital payments, cross-border payments, artificial intelligence, risk management, and anti-money laundering.
The Governor also expressed his hope that the two sides would continue advancing cooperation on cross-border retail payments using QR codes, building on Vietnam’s positive experiences with several countries in the region. Such cooperation would facilitate tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Japan.
Governor Pham Duc An expressed his confidence that financial and banking cooperation would continue to serve as one of the key pillars of the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the further deepening of bilateral relations, strengthening regional financial connectivity, and promoting sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Regarding multilateral cooperation, Governor Pham Duc An highly appreciated the support provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to Vietnam over the past three decades through financing programs, policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity-building initiatives. He also recognized Japan’s important role in enhancing the ADB’s position and operational effectiveness, and expressed his hope that the institution would continue supporting Vietnam and the SBV in the future.
Governor Pham Duc An and Ambassador Ito Naoki take a group photo with representatives from the Embassy of Japan and SBV entities
For his part, Ambassador Ito Naoki noted that the recent visit to Vietnam by the Prime Minister of Japan, along with a series of high-level meetings, had further reaffirmed the strong political trust and deep strategic cooperation between the two countries. He reiterated Japan’s commitment to supporting Vietnam’s development and international integration process, as well as its reform agenda and development goals for the coming years.
The Ambassador also expressed his appreciation for the SBV’s support for Japanese businesses and financial institutions. He noted that approximately 3,000 Japanese enterprises are currently operating in Vietnam, with many planning to expand their investments, reflecting strong confidence in Vietnam’s investment and business environment.
Ambassador Ito Naoki expressed his expectation that Japanese credit institutions would continue serving as important bridges supporting investment and business activities, particularly in infrastructure, energy, and green transition projects. He also looked forward to continued support and cooperation from the SBV and relevant authorities in facilitating Japanese investment projects in Vietnam.
The Ambassador thanked Governor Pham Duc An for his positive remarks regarding ADB and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to close coordination with Vietnam within multilateral cooperation frameworks. He also confirmed Japan’s continued support for Vietnam in institutional reform, sovereign credit rating enhancement, high-quality human resource development, and the possible expansion of ODA programs, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and disaster management.
Regarding financial and banking cooperation, Ambassador Ito Naoki stated that Japan would continue to coordinate closely with Vietnam and promote the implementation of the cooperation initiatives discussed by both sides, including QR-code payment connectivity and anti-money laundering cooperation.