Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Viet Nam Office SHIMIZU Akira

According to SHIMIZU Akira, the relationship between the two nations has been and is now at the highest stage with mutual trust, adding that JICA is willing to contribute to the friendship and development in both countries as the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) provider to Viet Nam through activities based on the commitments made between the two leaders and the two Governments.

Regarding cooperation between JICA and Viet Nam, the Chief Representative said that, as one of the top bilateral donors in Viet Nam, JICA has been cooperating with Viet Nam since 1992 with more than JPY 3,000 billion (equivalent to VND 600,000 billion) in financial assistance, dispatching some 15,000 Japanese experts and training about 27,000 Vietnamese personnel to realize the sustainable economic growth, response to fragility, and good governance in Viet Nam through various projects.

With the strong cooperation with Vietnamese counterparts, JICA’s projects have made great achievements such as more than 3,000 kilometer of roads, 250 bridges, five international ports and 10 power plants with the total capacity of 4,500 MW. This has contributed to the sustainable growth in Viet Nam as well as strengthened the connectivity and development in the whole ASEAN.

Before the recent COVID-19 pandemic, JICA has been cooperating in health sector in Viet Nam to strengthen measures against infectious diseases, promote institutional health care and medical administration system as well as provide training to 100,000 medical staffs.

SHIMIZU Akira underscored that since the outbreaks of COVID-19, JICA has also supported Viet Nam through the provision of equipment for PCR test, experiment facility for new diseases and ECMO system throughout Viet Nam as an emergency support for COVID-19 pandemic control. The support is worth about JPY 600 million (equivalent to VND 120 billion).

In the upcoming time, JICA will promote projects to balance responding to health crisis with bolstering economic recovery and support the socially vulnerable people in accordance with Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), human security and utilizing digital transformation aligning with Vietnamese policy which reinforces partnership between Viet Nam and Japan based on mutual trust.

To respond to COVID-19, JICA will help Viet Nam strengthen measures against the infectious disease, and promote institutional health care and medical administration system including provision of equipment to the central hospitals and National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE).

In addition, JICA will also focus on supporting Viet Nam in spheres of the development of urban transportation networks for sustainable and efficient growth in major cities, sustainable energy supply to meet the increasing energy demand needed for Viet Nam’s economic growth, improving basic infrastructure, agriculture and maritime security for strengthening connectivity and security especially in the Mekong Delta region.

SHIMIZU Akira expressed his belief that ODA takes significant role in developing the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

“As a sole bilateral development cooperation agency of Japan in Viet Nam, JICA keeps contributing to the development of Viet Nam through our projects that enhance exchange of human resources and knowledge between the both countries. We hope our contribution would further strengthen the partnership between Viet Nam and Japan”, emphasized the Chief Representative.