Deputy Minister of Finance Trần Quốc Phương (right) meets with JICA Senior Vice President Hayakawa Yuho in Hà Nội on Monday. — Photo Vietnamese Ministry of Finance

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Finance Trần Quốc Phương received Hayakawa Yuho, Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Hà Nội on Monday to discuss further cooperation between the two sides.

The deputy minister noted that Việt Nam – Japan relations have developed remarkably in recent years, particularly following high-level visits between the two countries’ leaders. Japan remains one of Việt Nam’s leading economic partners, ranking first in official development assistance (ODA) and labour cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in bilateral trade.

During Japan’s fiscal year 2025, the two sides inked three loan agreements worth nearly 90 billion JPY (over US$566 million) in total. The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance highly appreciates JICA’s close and effective cooperation, which contributed significantly to the successful conclusion of these pacts, Phương said.

On this occasion, the official called on JICA and Hayakawa himself to continue working closely with the ministry and relevant agencies of Việt Nam to further enhance ODA cooperation in a manner that serves the interests of both countries.

For his part, Hayakawa praised Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements. He noted that from 2002 to 2006, he worked in Hà Nội, where he directly helped with the drafting of the country’s five-year socio-economic development plan and coordinated with development partners to mobilise international resources, particularly for poverty reduction programmes.

According to the JICA Senior Vice President, Việt Nam’s development progress has demonstrated that the agency’s previous cooperation and support strategies were both appropriate and effective. Building on that foundation, JICA wishes to continue accompanying the nation in the next stage of development through a more strategic and long-term approach.

At the meeting, both host and guest also discussed a pipeline of future cooperation programmes and projects.

The JICA representative affirmed that the agency will continue to work closely with the Vietnamese ministry’s department of debt management and external finance to formulate, refine and effectively implement upcoming projects.

Meanwhile, Phương welcomed JICA’s proposals and cooperation orientations, reaffirming that the ministry will maintain close coordination with the Japanese agency to translate these plans into concrete actions, thereby contributing to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development in the years to come. — VNA/VNS