The Japanese Government has pledged a non-refundable aid package worth 500 million JPY (around 4.85 million USD) providing new cutting-edge automobiles for the Hanoi police to ensure security in the city.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on March 14 between Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao and Charge d’Affaires ad Interim at the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi Suzuki Hideo.

Suzuki said Japan hopes to promote the use of its environmentally-friendly automobiles, helping reduce the amount of exhaust fumes which are worsening the greenhouse effect in Vietnam.

The project is also expected to further deepen the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Japan, he said.

Chairman Thao hailed Japan for its assistance, and noted that both sides have seen many successful cooperative projects. Hanoi has received 23 official development assistance (ODA) projects worth 2.9 billion USD from Japan, accounting for 58 percent of the city’s total ODA projects.

Japan has also invested in 520 projects totalling 4.6 billion USD for the capital, making up 22 percent of the city’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, Thao said.-VNA