Japan will continue to support Vietnam’s development through provision of official development assistance (ODA), Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko said at a reception for visiting Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Tokyo on July 1. At the meeting, Yoshihiko said that he was satisfied with the strong development of the relations between Japan and Vietnam, as well as the result of his previous talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in October 2011 and April 2012. For his part, Phuc appreciated Japan’s provision of ODA at the highest level in its 2011 fiscal year and assured his host that Vietnam will use the aid effectively. Phuc noted that bilateral trade and investment ties are growing with two-way trade of $21 billion last year, and Japan is now the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. He expressed his hope that Yoshihiko will encourage Japanese ministries, agencies and companies to boost economic and investment cooperation with Vietnam to realize high-level agreements between the two countries. The 2012 marks the 20th consecutive year the Japanese government has granted ODA to Vietnam with a total pledged capital of $21 billion to date. (Lao Dong – Labor Jul 2 p1, Tien Phong – Pioneer Jul 2 p2, vovnews.vn Jul 1)
