Japan will sign two ODA projects worth over 1 billion USD to Vietnam this September, said the Vietnamese Ambassador to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba.

When talking to the Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper on July 28, Ambassador Sakaba said that the projects – the Lach Huyen deepwater port in the northern city of Hai Phong and Cai Mep-Thi Vai deepwater port in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, are expected to be completed by 2015.

Regarding Japan’s participation at the ASEAN Economics Ministers Meeting scheduled for next month in the central coastal city of Da Nang, the Japanese diplomat said that his country’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima will attend the event to promote the implementation of the free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and economic cooperation between Japan and the Mekong region.

The minister will also discuss cooperative ties with Vietnam on climate change, added Sakaba.

Concerning Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam , Sakaba said that Japan will strive to keep ODA to Vietnam at its current level but will increase the amount if Vietnam puts forward projects that are feasible.

Vietnam remains one of the countries to receive the highest amount of ODA from Japan , both in loans and non-refundable aid, said the diplomat.

On July 27 and 28, the Japanese embassy signed a non-refundable aid contract worth 285,000 USD to build two primary schools in the northern province of Ninh Binh and one primary school in the northern mountainous province of Bac Giang, he added.