Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with the Senior Vice President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Hideaki Domichi, on July 2, while visiting JICA’s headquarters as part of his visit to Japan.

Deputy PM Phuc expressed his pleasure at the strong development of Vietnam and Japan ’s friendship and cooperation in every field from politics, economics, science & technology to human resources training and cultural exchanges.

Phuc informed his host that during his visit, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and will meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as several senior government officials to discuss measures to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He also praised Japan for providing the highest ever amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Vietnam in the 2011 fiscal year, as well as JICA’s role as coordinator of the Japanese government’s ODA provision to Vietnam .

Vietnam will use the Japanese ODA in the most effective way, he said.

The Deputy PM asked the Japanese Government to continue maintaining and increasing ODA to Vietnam, especially at a time when both countries have been carrying out major infrastructure projects.

He also said he hoped that Japan will increase its ODA to effective programmes, including poverty reduction and responding to climate change.

Phuc stressed one of the priority tasks for Vietnam in the future is to implement the strategy on judicial reforms until 2020. Therefore, Vietnam wants to learn from Japan’s experiences in reforming its legal and justice system and Phuc added that he hoped both countries will step up cooperation in the field.

Hideaki Domichi thanked the Vietnamese government and people for their heartfelt assistance to Japan after last March’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

He said that legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries is highly important, subsequently Japan will assign specialists to help Vietnam in the field.

In addressing a Vietnam – Japan discussion on judicial reform the same day, Vice Senior President Hideaki Domichi said over the past 15 years, Japan has worked closerly with Vietnam, including the Ministry of Justice, to modernise the country’s judicial sector.
Deputy PM Phuc underlined the importance of the talks to Vietnam ’s judicial and legal system.-VNA