Vietnam still top priority for Japanese ODA policymakers

Hanoi (VNA)- Representative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Tsuno Motonori has reassured Vietnam that the relationship between the two nations is considered the most important among its partnerships when formulating its official development assistance (ODA) policy.

"ODA to Vietnam is most successful," Motonori told reporters in Hanoi
on October 15, announcing the merger of two Japanese aid coordination
agencies, namely JICA and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC).

He attributed the success to the high levels of aid handling competence
displayed by the Vietnamese Government and relevant agencies.

Tomonori said the new ODA agency would focus on four priorities within its
Vietnam programme; assistance in boosting growth and increasing
competitiveness, improving living conditions and narrowing the developmental
gap, protecting the environment and strengthening State governance.

He stressed that the priority given to the transport sector in Vietnam
would not change under the freshly-merged JICA, which will continue its
investment in railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and the
construction of the Nhat Tan bridge in Hanoi .

JBIC statistics showed that Japan 's ODA commitments to Vietnam
reached over 1.25 trillion JPY, with 41 percent of the total being consumed
by the transport sector.--Enditem