The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 6 handed over a decision on the extension of the term of Vietnam-Japan Special Ambassador Ryotaro Sugi. 

Vietnam-Japan Special Ambassador Ryotaro Sugi. 

Under the decision, which was presented by Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Sugi will continue to work as Vietnam-Japan Special Ambassador until March 31, 2020. 

Trung lauded practical contributions by the man to developing cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Japan over the past nearly 30 years, and expressed his hope that Sugi will contribute more to the bilateral extensive strategic partnership.  

For his part, Sugi pledged to do his utmost to help enhance the friendship between the two countries, especially in culture, arts and people-to-people exchange. 

He informed Trung that Japan will help Vietnam with firefighting equipment and activities promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries in the time ahead. 

Ryotaro Sugi was appointed as Vietnam-Japan special friendship ambassador between May 22, 2007 and December 31, 2008. His term as the special friendship ambassador was extended in December 2008.  

On October 15, 2009, his position was officially renamed Vietnam-Japan Special Ambassador, and his term has been extended for six times. 

Ryotaro Sugi is Japan’s first Japan-Vietnam Special Ambassador, and also the first Japanese appointed by the Vietnamese Government as Vietnam-Japan Special Ambassador.-VNA