Vietnam wishes to continue deepening its strategic partnership with Japan, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

PM Dung made the remark while receiving former Japanese Prime Minister and President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance Yukio Hatoyama, in Hanoi on Mar. 20.

PM Dung expressed thanks to the Japanese Government for its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam despite difficulties after the earthquake and tsunami in March, 2011.

Vietnam will effectively manage and use the ODA sources to serve national development, he said.

He asked the Japanese parliament to support ODA provision for Vietnam , especially those for infrastructure and coping with climate change, as well as boosting cooperation in education and training, culture, security and national defence.

PM Dung highly appreciated Japan ’s initiative on Sub-Mekong region cooperation and asked Japan to continue cooperating and assisting projects on the research of effective management and use of natural resources from the Mekong river.

Yukio Hatoyama thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their cooperation and assistance to Japan after the country was hit by natural disasters last year.

According to the former Japanese PM, besides cooperation in economic trade, investment, the two sides need to boost cooperation in energy, exploitation of rare earth minerals and coping with climate change.

He expressed hope that Vietnam will create more favourable conditions for Japanese investors to engage in long-term business in the country and affirmed his commitment to contribute to the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.-VNA