Vietnam and Japan are expected to make a long stride in beefing up the strategic and comprehensive partnership ties, particularly in economics, trade, investment and ODA, Vietnamese state media said on April 20.
"Party chief of Vietnam, Nong Duc Manh's four-day visit to Japan, the second trip, at the invitation of Prime Minister Taro Aso is aimed at tapping supports and learning experience from Japan to serve the country's industrialization program," Communist Party of Vietnam said on its Website.
Japan is the second biggest buyer of Vietnamese goods behind the U.S.
Japan and Vietnam have signed a bilateral economic partnership agreement, which will take effect in the first half this year to optimize benefits to the two countries in the face of the global downturn.
Under VJEPA, Hanoi and Tokyo agree to exempt tax for 92 per cent of bilateral trade.
Japan has pledged to help Vietnam develop supporting industries, infrastructure networks, improve human resource by helping train 1,000 doctorates by 2020, 200-300 nurses a year via ODA loans.
Japan has recently resumed ODA loans for Vietnam, and pledged to provide 83 billion yen (837 million dollars) for Vietnam's infrastructure projects this year based on the Vietnamese government's efforts to fight corruption.
Last year, two-way trade between Vietnam and Japan hit US$15.5 billion.
By end-2008, Japan invested US$17 billion into 1,000 projects in Vietnam, ranking third among countries and territories.
Japan provided US$13 billion in ODA loans for Vietnam between 1992 and 2007, making up 30 per cent of total ODA by international donors for Vietnam. (cpv.org.vn, chinhphu.vn)
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