The Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam , Mitsuo Sakaba, on July 15 signed two grant contracts worth more than 190,000 USD in support of social infrastructure in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

Of the assistance, 97,000 USD will go to construction of Anh Hung Nup Primary School in Phu Thien district and the same amount of aid will be earmarked for the rural road project in Klu village of Chu Prong district, according to press releases of the Japanese Embassy.

Ambassador Sakaba said at the signing ceremony that he hopes the projects will improve educational environment and the road and transportation condition of the two localities.

“I also hope that through this project, the friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and Viet Nam will be further deepened,” he added.

Phu Thien and Chu Prong are the two far-flung districts in Gia Lai province, considered as the less developed area in Vietnam .

Phu Thien district is heavily lacking in primary school facilities. Its current Anh Hung Nup primary school does not have any permanent facilities, with its seven classrooms locating in different villages. Upon completion of the new project, local pupils will enjoy a new two-storey building with eight classrooms.

For Chu Prong district, a new cement road linking Klu village and the neighbourhoods is expected to improve the socio-economic activities within the area.

Japan resumed providing official development assistance to Vietnam since 1991. Non-refundable aid, which is one of the main five types of the Japan-Vietnam economic cooperation framework, is mainly focused on human resources development, infrastructure, vaccine production and afforestation./.