Vietnam is ready to participate in Japan’s reconstruction after natural disasters by providing human resources, construction materials and necessary goods for the country.

This statement was made by Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, while meeting with Japan’s parliamentary leaders, Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during his visit to the country, from June 1.

While expressing sympathy with the Japanese government and people towards the great losses caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, Sang affirmed that, “ Vietnam will do its utmost to help Japan overcome its current difficult period”.

Regarding the bilateral relationship over the past 40 years, the Politburo member stressed that the Vietnamese Party and State highly valued the ties with Japan and plan to comprehensively develop the strategic partnership between the two countries for peace and prosperity in Asia .

Vietnam always pays attention to promoting the efficiency of the use of ODA, he said, suggesting the Japanese side continue maintaining this capital source at high levels for Vietnam .

Sang also suggested strengthening bilateral cooperation to cope with climate change and making 2013, the year marking the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, the “Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year.”

Speaker of Japan ’s House of Representatives Takahiro Yokomichi and Speaker of the Senate Takeo Nishioka thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their valuable support for Japan after the earthquake and tsunami calamity.

They expressed their wish that the two parliaments would make more efforts to further boost the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto shared the parliamentary leaders’ wish to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The President and CEO of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Hirosgi Watanabe affirmed he wanted to continue working with the Vietnamese government to boost bilateral investment cooperation in the time to come./.