The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-JapanFriendship Association (VJFA)’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter jointlyheld a ceremony in the city on December 11 to mark the 81 st birthdayof Japanese Emperor Akihito and the country’s National Day (December 23,1933-2014).
Addressing the event, Chairman of the VJFA HCM CityNguyen Cong Tanh and Japanese Consul General to the city NakajimaSatoshi highlighted the increasingly developing ties between the twonations in recent years, saying the two countries have become eachother’s important partners in all aspects, from politics, diplomacy,economy, trade, investment and sci-technology, to cultural andpeople-to-people exchange.
Nakajima Satoshi noted that the year2013 witnessed eventful cooperation and exchange activities between thetwo sides, with visits by their high-ranking leaders.
DuringPresident Truong Tan Sang’s state visit to Japan in March this year,bilateral relations was lifted to an intensive strategic partnership forpeace and prosperity in Asia, he said.
The Japanese diplomatrevealed that the Japanese Government will continue maintaining officialdevelopment assistance (ODA) for Vietnam at the highest level,especially in infrastructure and human resources development,competitiveness improvement, and disaster prevention.
The country will also retain many preferential policies for Vietnamese students who wish to study in Japan , he added.
Japan is now one of the leading foreign investors in Vietnam , with2,300 projects worth over 35 billion USD. The country is also thelargest provider of ODA for Vietnam.-VNA
