The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi on March 7 to sign contracts with seven Vietnamese localities on eight local-level projects funded by Japanese non-refundable assistance in the fiscal year of 2018.

The projects, worth over 640,000 USD, include those to provide medical equipment to Phu Cat health care station in Binh Dinh; provide optic equipment to Quang Nam provincial Eye Hospital; build road in Phu Sung village in Pa Khoang commune, Dien Bien district in Dien Bien province; and supply clean water to Thanh Hoi commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, and Pac Khoa village, Phuc Khoa commune, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau province.

Besides, La Gion boarding school in Mong Gion commune, Quynh Nhai district of Son La province will be upgraded, along with the construction of classrooms for the primary school of Thanh Van commune, Cho Moi district of Bac Kan, and An Hu commune’s pripary school of Hoai An district in Binh Dinh.

Addressing at the signing ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio said that Japanese non-refundable assistance aims to support projects that benefit people in localities.

Initiated in 1992, the programme had funded 630 projects worth about 53 million USD by 2018, he noted.

The ambassador underlined that the Japanese Government hopes to support the development of Vietnam and bring about brighter future for locals in benefited localities.

Hoang Van Quyet, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Muong Gion commune, Quynh Nhai district of Son La province, thanked the Japanese Government for assisting remote areas and ethnic minority groups of Vietnam.

He said he believes that with the support 501 students and 39 teachers of the degraded La Gion boarding school will enjoy better living and studying conditions, thus encouraging more local children to go to school.-VNA