Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung received in Hanoi on July 2 Maeda Tadashi, Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), who pledged that the bank will continue to support Vietnam's strategic development goals.
PM Hung expressed appreciation for Maeda's personal contributions and JBIC's continued financial support for Japanese-invested projects in Vietnam.
He expressed his delight at the increasingly substantive and effective development of the Vietnam–Japan friendship and cooperation, particularly significant progress made since the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership nearly three years ago.
The PM reaffirmed that Japan remains one of Vietnam's leading economic partners, noting that cooperation in science and technology, as well as emerging fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, green transition, renewable energy and space, has also achieved notable new progress.
He highlighted the recent official visit to Vietnam by Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae, during which the two leaders agreed to further deepen bilateral ties in pursuit of sustainable development in a new era.
PM Hung said there remains ample room to expand bilateral cooperation, stressing JBIC's important role in mobilising financial resources and advancing strategic infrastructure projects to support Vietnam's long-term development goals, particularly its green transition.
To implement agreements reached during PM Takaichi's visit, he called on JBIC to continue serving as a bridge for cooperation by developing appropriate financing and investment guarantee mechanisms to support the establishment of industrial clusters, innovation hubs and high-tech manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.
Such efforts, he said, will accelerate the country's industrialisation and modernisation while supporting major national priorities, including high-quality foreign investment, private-sector development, the establishment of an international financial centre, and growth driven by science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.
He also expressed his hope that JBIC will help strengthen Vietnam's economic resilience by encouraging Japanese investment in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, AI, batteries, new materials, critical minerals and high-tech industries.
The PM urged the bank to expand financial support, investment guarantees and co-financing for new investment projects, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), thereby promoting technology transfer, improving corporate governance and strengthening supply chain linkages between the two countries.
The Vietnamese Government leader also called for continued support to ensure the efficient operation of the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical project on the basis of mutual goodwill and shared benefits.
Welcoming progress on five of the 15 projects under the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative, he urged JBIC to adopt more flexible lending procedures to accelerate the remaining projects. He also encouraged the bank to explore opportunities for Vietnamese businesses under the Partnership for Energy Resilience and Resource Asia (POWERR Asia) initiative.
He noted that Vietnam is moving swiftly to implement new strategic policies and revise key legislation, welcoming feedback from foreign investors, including JBIC, to help improve the country's legal and policy framework.
For his part, Maeda shared his views on opportunities to deepen Vietnam–Japan cooperation, recommendations for attracting more financing from international financial institutions and the private sector, and recent global developments affecting Vietnam.
Agreeing with the host's proposals, he reaffirmed JBIC's commitment to advancing concrete cooperation projects based on the strong bilateral relationship, while implementing outcomes of PM Takaichi's recent visit and supporting Vietnam's long-term strategic priorities.
Maeda noted that while Japan remains Vietnam's leading provider of official development assistance (ODA), stronger economic growth will require a greater role for the private sector through PPPs, an area in which JBIC has extensive experience and is eager to support.
He said JBIC will continue working with Vietnam to advance the 15 AZEC projects, with a combined investment of around 20 billion USD, as well as power and oil and gas projects to strengthen the country's energy resilience under the POWERR Asia initiative.
Maeda also revealed that JBIC is promoting cooperation with third countries in developing semiconductor and AI industries in Vietnam, such as semiconductor supply chains and data centres. The bank is also supporting Vietnamese start-ups and young enterprises through venture capital funds, while seeking cooperation in developing Vietnam's International Financial Centre and expanding cultural exchanges./.
