Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets with Kitaoka Shinichi, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the JICA’s important contributions to implementing ODA projects in Vietnam and its quick deployment of more than 4 million doses of vaccines and medical equipment donated by the Japanese government to help Vietnam strengthen disease response capacity and improve medical services.

As Vietnam needs a large amount of capital to develop its strategic infrastructure, the Prime Minister suggested that Japan provide Vietnam with new-generation ODA in new and flexible ways and with maximum incentives which can be used in improving medical capacity, especially grassroots and preventive medicine; emission reduction and response to climate change in the Mekong Delta, Central and Northern mountainous areas; digital conversion; sustainable development; social security for those affected by COVID-19; and strategic infrastructure development.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam will continue to make efforts to improve the efficiency of the use of ODA loans, create favorable conditions for JICA experts to work in Vietnam despite COVID-19, and minimize impacts on the progress of major projects.

JICA President Kitaoka applauded the effectiveness of Vietnam's ODA projects and said that JICA would replicate Vietnam’s successful model in building 100 hospitals in other countries. He pledged to continue to support Vietnam's economic growth, focusing on cooperation in healthcare, public investment and human resource development.