Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has lauded Japan ’s commitments to help Vietnam in customs office technology, public-private partnership, supporting industry and relevant human resources development and green development.

The commitments are part of the fourth phase of a joint initiative, of which an action plan was signed in Hanoi on July 1, following a high-level meeting held by the Joint Committee of the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative.

Dung pledged full support for the freshly-inked action plan during his meeting with Kato Susumu, President of the Japan-Vietnam Economic Committee under the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Keidanren), later in the day.

He added that the Vietnamese Government is instructing relevant agencies to materialise agreements reached by the two countries in the recent visit by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan , including construction of a nuclear energy plant and joint exploitation of rare earth.

Dung thanked the Japanese Government for continuing official development aid for Vietnam when Japan itself is tightening belt to overcome heavy aftermaths of twin natural disasters.

Vietnam and Japan have set up a strategic partnership and Japan is among the most successful foreign investor and trade partner in Vietnam .

For his part, Kato Susumu recognised the success of the first three phases of the joint initiative which he said have increased foreign investment, including that from Japan , into Vietnam .

He pointed out Japanese investors’ expectation for improvement in customs procedures at Vietnam ’s border gates and effective use of public-private partnership as well as their interest in power and seaports projects.

Kato Susumu was also received the same day by Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, who affirmed Vietnam ’s consistent policy in continuing to improve investment climate, absorbing foreign capital flows and foreign investors, including Japan .

Susumu appreciated support and guidance of the Party and Government of Vietnam in implementing the joint initiative over the past three phases, and stressed both sides’ resolve to achieve the targets set for phase 4, which are to improve the investment environment and increase the competitive edge of the Vietnamese economy./.