Japan is rebuilding new supply chains and Vietnam remains an ideal option during this process.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (r) and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kitaoka Shinichi (l). Photo" Quang Hieu.

President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kitaoka Shinichi shared the view in a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 11.

Mentioning Vietnam as his first trip abroad since the Covid-19 outbreak, Mr. Shinichi spoke highly of the Vietnamese government’s efforts in containing the pandemic.

“Vietnam is the first country that JICA has sent its volunteer over, and also the destination for the first trip of the Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide,” he noted, adding the close relations between the two countries help build mutual trust.

PM Phuc stressed the Vietnam-Japan relations have been growing strongly in various spheres. In this regard, Japan is Vietnam’s top economic partner and the biggest donor of the official development assistance (ODA) and preferential loans, in turn actively contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

“The government is committed to creating favorable conditions for Japanese investors to promote businesses in the country,” stated Mr. Phuc, while the Vietnam-Japan University has been the “light house” of the bilateral relations.

In the course of 35 years of reform, Vietnam has transformed into a middle-income country, but is still facing numerous difficulties, he noted.

“The lack of inadequate infrastructure is restricting the development in many provinces/cities, and the ODA from Japan is playing a key role in Vietnam’s economic development, poverty reduction and  the infrastructure system improvement,” the PM suggested.

The Vietnamese government expects to continue receiving JICA’s support in the future.

On this occasion, Mr. Phuc hoped the Japanese government to provide support for the Vientiane – Hanoi expressway project.

“Vietnam targets utmost transparency and efficiency in the use of ODA funds,” stated Mr. Phuc.

Amid the Covid-19 causing global economic recession, Vietnam stands ready to receive a shift of investment capital from Japanese investors, he stressed.

“With the huge potential from two countries, the bilateral relations are set to reach a new height once the pandemic is fully contained,” Mr. Phuc asserted.