Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh held a reception for JICA Executive Senior Vice President Junichi Yamada in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh on Tuesday said he supports Vietnamese agencies and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to hold regular meetings, seeking solutions to obstacles to ODA projects in Việt Nam.

At a reception for JICA Executive Senior Vice President Junichi Yamada in Hà Nội, Minh noted with pleasure the strong developments of the Việt Nam-Japan strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.

Japan had been always Việt Nam’s leading strategic partner in ODA, accounting for 30 per cent of the about US$29.3 billion committed by foreign investors for the Southeast Asian nation, he said.

Minh thanked the Japanese Government and people for their assistance over the past nearly three decades which has significantly contributed to spurring socio-economic development in Việt Nam.

He also lauded the role and contributions by JICA and Yamada himself in the implementation of ODA projects in Việt Nam, and called on Japan to continue with this kind of assistance, especially new-generation ODA, as agreed by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance had held working sessions with the Japanese Embassy to seek loans from the Japanese Government for the socio-economic recovery and development programme in Việt Nam, with a focus on strategic infrastructure, transport infrastructure, digital transformation, climate change response, and health care, Minh said, asking the ministry to closely coordinate with JICA in the effort. — VNS