Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng (right) and President of JICA Tanaka Akihiko. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and President of JICA Tanaka Akihiko on Thursday welcomed the strong and tangible development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries across all fields.

Meeting Tanaka Akihiko, who is visiting Hà Nội on a working trip, PM Hưng expressed his sincere gratitude to the President and to JICA for their continued partnership and active support for Việt Nam over recent years.

He affirmed that Japan’s official development assistance (ODA), channelled through JICA, which features high technological content and sustainability, has made substantial contributions to Việt Nam’s socio‑economic development, structural economic transformation and the establishment and refinement of institutions and legal frameworks.

Japan remains Việt Nam’s foremost economic partner, the leading partner in ODA and labour cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in trade and tourism.

Last year, ODA cooperation rose by more than US$600 million; bilateral trade exceeded $50 billion for the first time; and investment increased by nearly $4 billion with almost 300 new projects.

Cooperation between the two countries is expanding into new areas such as science and technology, digital transformation, green transition, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and economic security.

Notably, during the recent official visit to Việt Nam by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, both sides agreed to deepen bilateral relations to jointly pursue sustainable development objectives in this new phase.

PM Hưng welcomed JICA’s proposal for a new orientation in ODA cooperation with Việt Nam in the coming period, noting that the priority areas correspond with Việt Nam’s development focus and with the cooperative direction agreed by the two PMs.

On that basis, the Prime Minister requested that JICA hold detailed consultations with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to select feasible programmes and projects for implementation and to review and promptly finalise an agreement to facilitate Japan’s non‑reimbursable aid projects.

Sharing Việt Nam’s development orientations, priority tasks and strategies under a range of new mechanisms and policies, the PM urged JICA to consider ODA cooperation in the near term in areas such as supporting Việt Nam’s industrialisation and modernisation, prioritising science and technology, technological innovation, productivity improvement and competitiveness.

The support will also be providing a new generation of ODA loans on more favourable terms and with more flexible procedures in sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, digital transformation, green transition, space technology, energy, infrastructure, disaster prevention and supply chains; promoting research and early implementation of budget support loans for AI and digital transformation; and training leadership and management personnel.

The PM suggested JICA to work with the Ministry of Finance and other ministries, agencies and localities to prepare a cooperation catalogue for 2026–2030; to cooperate with Việt Nam to expedite the Việt Nam–Japan University project – one of the landmark projects in bilateral relations – and projects to develop climate‑resilient infrastructure in the Mekong Delta.

They will also implement the tripartite working group mechanism between the Ministry of Finance, the Embassy of Japan and JICA to promote cooperation with localities, especially Hà Nội and HCM City, notably in strategic infrastructure development.

JICA President Tanaka Akihiko thanked PM Hưng for recognising JICA’s contributions and for receiving the delegation; congratulated the PM on his election as head of government; and commended Việt Nam’s policy direction and development achievements.

He said JICA has proposed a new orientation for ODA cooperation with Việt Nam in the coming period, centred on four pillars: development of high‑quality human resources, industrial and supply‑chain development, institution and policy building and refinement and infrastructure development.

Expressing his strong impression and appreciation for the PM’s messages at the third ASEAN Future Forum, Tanaka emphasised that science and technology is a core area of cooperation between Japan generally, and JICA in particular, with Việt Nam – notably accelerating cooperation on the early launch of the LOTUSat‑1 satellite; training managerial and leadership personnel to meet digital transformation demands; and semiconductor workforce development; and implementing Japanese budget support loans for Việt Nam’s AI and digital transformation development.

At the meeting, both sides also discussed continued efforts to advance a number of specific projects and cooperative programmes, including the Hà Nội Metro Line 2 (Nam Thăng Long – Trần Hưng Đạo section).

Recalling his positive impressions from studying in Japan, PM Hưng hoped that JICA would continue to accompany Việt Nam and actively promote the substantive implementation of agreed cooperation with innovative approaches, making practical contributions to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and supporting Việt Nam in achieving its development objectives.

In full agreement with the PM’s points, JICA President Tanaka asked for the PM’s continued support and guidance so that JICA may further help elevate bilateral relations to new heights and assist Việt Nam in realising its development goals, including high growth in the coming period and more landmark projects in the bilateral relationship. — VNS