Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong held a meeting with Mr. Hayakawa Yuho, Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Hanoi on May 25.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong noted that cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has developed strongly in recent years, particularly following high-level visits by leaders of the two countries. Japan remains one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners, ranking first in ODA provision and labor cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in trade.
According to the Foreign Investment Agency under Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance, as of the end of April 2026, Japanese investors are operating 5,775 projects in Vietnam with total registered investment capital exceeding $79.29 billion, making Japan the third-largest investor among countries and territories investing in Vietnam.
In particular, the Deputy Minister highlighted that during fiscal year 2025, the two sides signed three loan agreements worth nearly JPY90 billion in total (more than $566.22 million). Vietnam’s MoF highly appreciated JICA’s close and effective coordination, which played an important role in the successful conclusion of these agreements.
Referring to recent high-level cooperation outcomes, the Deputy Minister also said that during Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s visit to Vietnam in May, leaders of the two countries agreed to further deepen and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation, elevating Vietnam–Japan relations to a new height on the basis of harmonized interests and a shared goal of sustainable development.
On this occasion, the Deputy Minister proposed that JICA continue to work closely with the Ministry of Finance and relevant Vietnamese agencies to further promote effective ODA cooperation between the two countries in line with the interests of both sides.
Mr. Hayakawa Yuho, for his part, highly appreciated Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements in recent years. According to Mr. Hayakawa Yuho, Vietnam’s development trajectory has demonstrated that JICA’s previous cooperation orientations and support programs were appropriate and effective.
On that basis, JICA expressed its desire to continue accompanying and supporting Vietnam in its new development phase through a more strategic and long-term approach.
The two sides also discussed Japanese loan-funded projects expected to be implemented in the coming period, including cooperation orientations and ideas centered on key pillars such as high-quality human resource training; development of supporting industries and strengthening supply chains; support for the startup ecosystem; as well as infrastructure development in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong highly valued JICA’s proposals and cooperation orientations, while affirming that the Ministry of Finance would continue to closely coordinate with JICA to concretize cooperation contents, thereby contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development in the coming period
