Vietnam Party Chief to Pay Visit to Japan Soon

Party chief of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh will pay an official visit to Japan in the near term at the invitation of Prime Minister Taro Aso, the Communist Party of Vietnam's Central Committee's external relation bureau said on April 13.

 

According to the Japanese foreign ministry, Party chief Manh will tour Japan April 19-22 and hold a courtesy visit to Emperor Akihito and talks with PM Taro Aso to discuss investment, trade, ODA for Vietnam.

 

Manh visited Japan for first time in 2002. Manh's visit this time is arranged after two months Japan officially resumed ODA loans for Vietnam.

 

Japanese ambassador to Vietnam, Mitsuo Sakaba told a press briefing in Hanoi late last week that 2008 was the third consecutive year Vietnam received the biggest ODA sum from Japan.

 

In the fiscal year of 2007, Vietnam got US$640 million of ODA including US$18 million grants, technical assistances of US$74 million and soft loans of US$548 million.

 

Despite difficulties triggered by the global crisis, the Japanese government will continue providing ODA loans for Asian countries to help stimulate the regional economy, Mitsuo Sakaba said, elaborating in April or May, Japan and Vietnam will convene a meeting to discuss new ODA loans.

 

Japan and Vietnam have set up a supervising mechanism for ODA-funded projects to increase transparency and combat corruption.

 

Last year, Vietnam reported a trade surplus of US$297 million, compared with deficit of US$108 million in 2007, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam said. (CPV, VNA)