Vietnam Honors Japanese Researchers, Businessman

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh has given a friendship medal to Director of Japan's Vietnam Economic Research Institute Kubota Teruyoshi for his contributions to the bilateral friendly cooperation.

 

Mr. Binh presented the Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism's insignia to Japanese businessman Ito Toyokichi for his contributions to educating culture of Vietnam to Japanese and South Korean people.

 

Addressing the presentation ceremony in Tokyo on Mar 9, Ambassador Binh added that the relationship between Vietnam and Japan had steadily developed since it was established 37 years ago. Seniors officials from two countries agreed to build a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.

 

Over the past 20 years, Kubota and his colleagues at the institute have provided economic assessments on Vietnam to Japanese investors. He has also helped the Japanese companies understand Vietnam.

 

The institute has also represented a number of Vietnamese localities, including the northern port city of Haiphong, the central coast city of Danang and the central highlands province of Lam Dong in investment promotion activities in Japan.

 

At the ceremony, both Kubota and Ito pledged to continue promoting the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership.

 

Recently the Japanese prime minister sent a letter to his Vietnamese counterpart to lobby for Japanese firms to take part in nuclear power plants, according to reports by state media.

 

Vietnam and Japan recently signed the second ODA package worth of JPY25.82 billion for the fiscal year of 2009 Mar 2 following the first worth JPY109.791 billion. (VNA)