The Vietnam – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA), which has recently been approved by the Japanese Parliament, will make it easier for the two countries to implement bilateral economic agreements.

The statement was made by the head of Party Central Committee’s Commission for Organisation Ho Duc Viet on August 7, while receiving Japanese ambassador to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba in Hanoi. Viet, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentarians Friendship Union, spoke highly of Vietnam-Japan cooperation in recent years, and especially of the significance of the implementation of the VJEPA.

On behalf of the Vietnamese National Assembly, he thanked the Japanese government for its large-scale official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam and affirmed that his government will allocate part of Japan’s ODA to training and capacity-building among public servants.

For his part, Japanese ambassador to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba expressed his pleasure with the development of the Vietnam-Japan friendship and agreed that the VJEPA, to officially take effect on October 1, 2009, will probably give impetus to further boosting economic relations between the two countries.

The ambassador also said that Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange days are expected to be held in the ancient town of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam from August 14-16. The event, according to the ambassador, will contribute to strengthening the friendship and understanding between Vietnam and Japan./.