Vietnam defines Japan as an important strategic partner with technological experience essential for the country during its process of national development, said To Huy Rua, Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee.
The North-South Expressway Project uses ODA funding from Japan
Mr Rua led a senior Vietnamese delegation on a working visit to Japan from May 16-20 at the invitation of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVFPA).
During the visit, Mr Rua met and talked with high-ranking officials from Japan’s National Diet (government), the JVFPA, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Nippon Keidanren) and the International Friendship Exchange Council (FEC).
At talks with Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, Mr Rua said he is pleased to witness the positive development of the strategic partnership between the two nations and thanked Japan for maintaining its large amount of ODA funding for Vietnam despite facing its own difficulties caused by the natural disasters last year.
Vietnam pledges to use the ODA most effectively and will set up a coordinating committee headed by a Deputy Prime Minister to allocate the funding. The country is determined to accelerate major projects as agreed by both sides and asks the Japanese Government to continue supporting Vietnam in carrying out the projects, Mr Rua said.
He highlighted the need to improve the substantial relationship in the lead up to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan, adding that Vietnamese leaders would like to invite the Japanese Emperor and Empress and other leaders to visit Vietnam soon.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura expressed his wish to promote further exchanges and cooperation in various fields, especially cross-cultural exchanges for the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
The Japanese government will also devise measures to support Vietnam in carrying out ODA-funded projects after considering the findings of their implementation, Mr Fujimura said.
At a reception for Mr Rua and his delegation, Deputy Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Eto Seishiro thanked Vietnam for its assistance to Japan after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunamis last March and affirmed that Japanese members of parliament from all political parties, wish to enhance the friendship with Vietnam.
Mr Seishiro said that the two countries boast great potential for bilateral cooperation in different fields and Japan wants to contribute to Vietnam’s national development. He said he believes Vietnam’s steady progress will contribute to the development of countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
As Vietnam’s biggest ODA provider, Japan hopes Vietnam will use the funding in the most effective ways to serve its socio-economic development. Japan wants to help Vietnam build nuclear power plants, exploit rare earths and develop other crtitical infrastructure, said Mr Seishiro.
Mr Rua said Vietnam is striving to become a modern industrialized nation by 2020. To reach this goal, the country needs to rely on its inner strength and make the best of cooperation and assistance from international friends including Japan.
Working with Nippon Keidanren leaders, Mr Rua stressed the importance of accomplishing infrastructure projects to serve Vietnam's socio-economic development, while calling on Japanese organizations and businesses to engage in major Vietnamese infrastructure development through various cooperative business models such as the Public Private Partnership (PPP). He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is willing to create the best possible conditions for Japanese investors to do business in Vietnam for mutual benefits.
Co-Chairman of the Japan Business Federation in Asia and Oceania Committee Toshiaki Egashira expressed his organization’s desire to cooperate with Vietnam in accelerating PPP infrastructure development projects. He said he hopes the Vietnamese Government will continue to revamp the legal system, review policies and improve the investment environment to facilitate Japanese business operations.
On the occasion, Mr Rua, his delegation and the Keidanren leaders witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a “Smart Community” Development” project in Vietnam between Vietnam’s M&C Group and Japan’s Toshiba Group.
During the visit, Mr Rua also met with former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVFPA) Takebe Tsutomu and other senior Japanese officials. The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges and parliamentary cooperation as a contribution to the friendship between Vietnam and Japan.
On the final working day, Mr Rua talked with Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Tatsuo Kawabata and President of the National Personnel Authority of Japan (NPA) Hara Tsuneo about ways to increase bilateral cooperation in personnel organization, management and human resources training.
To mark late President Ho Chi Minh’s 122nd birthday anniversary on May 19, the Vietnamese embassy in Japan invited Mr Rua to talk about Uncle Ho’s devotion and contributions to the nation as well as the current socio-economic situation in the homeland.
Mr Rua and his delegation concluded their working visit to Japan and left Tokyo to return to Hanoi on the morning of May 20.
