Vietnam hopes for continued cooperation with Japan in developing infrastructure using Japanese ODA, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

PM Dung made the statement while receiving a delegation from the Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Keidanren) led by its Vice Chairman Uchida in Hanoi on October 28.

He added Vietnam is ready to join hands with Japan to build operation mechanisms and legal institutions for infrastructure construction.

Bilateral relations are growing fruitfully, especially in economy and trade, the PM said, adding the two sides would discuss ways to elevate these ties to a new level during Japanese PM Naoto Kan ’s upcoming visit to Vietnam .

The leader applauded the Japan-Vietnam joint initiative on improving Vietnam ’s investment environment, which is reaping encouraging results in its third phase. He requested that the two sides continue performing the fourth stage of the initiative and boost public-private partnership (PPP).

PM Dung also spoke highly of Keidanren’s role in the Japanese economy and expressed his belief that the federation would play an important part in lifting Vietnam-Japan economic, trade and investment ties on a par with the potential of both nations.

Uchida said that, at the forthcoming East Asia Summit (EAS), the concerned parties would look into a number of major infrastructure projects, including those in Vietnam .

Japanese companies will provide advanced technological services for Vietnam ’s infrastructure projects and help the nation build up regulations on public-private management as well as environmental norms, he said.

Uchida highly valued improvements in Vietnam ’s investment environment, and urged the two sides to implement the fourth phase of the joint initiative and create more favourable conditions for Japanese firms to invest in the Southeast Asian country, particularly in the fields Japan holds strengths such as IT and nuclear power./.