Vietnam and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on human resources training as part of the fifth phase of the Vietnam-Japan joint initiative running from July 2013 to December 2014.

The MoU was inked in Hanoi on August 13 by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Association of Japanese Enterprises in Vietnam.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan hailed Japan as a strategic partner of Vietnam over the past years, adding that he expects the two nations will further cooperate in diverse realms, covering not only politics and economics, but culture, education and science-technology also.

He said Japan is strong in science-technology, which will be maximised in Vietnam on the back of the quantity and quality of its labour force.

“Foreign businesses, including those from Japan, must be successful in Vietnam as your success is ones”, he stressed.

The Deputy PM also asked signatories to hold a meeting every six months and report their cooperation process to the Government.

The 18 month-long MoU is expected to offer Vietnamese labourers more employment and training opportunities in Japan, even managerial-level training.

It also looks to entice more Japanese investment and improve the investment environment in Vietnam.-VNA