EDU: VIENTIANE- Japan supports upgrade of pedagogical colleges, bus maintenance
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Japan will assist Laos to upgrade pedagogical colleges and the maintenance of buses through two projects with a total value of about 2 billion yen.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith and his Japanese counterpart Mr Motegi Toshimitsu signed exchange notes on the two projects in Vientiane on August 23.
The project to improve pedagogical colleges will receive funding of 1.9 billion yen (about US$18 million) while the bus maintenance project will receive 500 million yen (about US$4.6 million) in financing.
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Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu led a delegation on a visit to Laos from August 22-24 to enhance the longstanding tradition of friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.
At a meeting held on August 23, Mr Saleumxay said he highly valued the visit by the Japanese minister and his delegation and that it was a significant milestone in building friendship and cooperation between Laos and Japan.
The visit took place during the year of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and also marked five years of strategic partnership between the two countries, he added.
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He congratulated Mr Toshimitsu on his appointment as Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs last September. Through the Japanese minister and his delegation, Mr Saleumxay expressed his sympathy to the Japanese government and people over the floods and landslides that occurred in the south-west of Japan last month.
The two parties said they highly valued the friendship and cooperation under their strategic partnership, which they said had broadened, deepened, and yielded fruitful results.
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They also expressed appreciation for bilateral cooperation in the development of Laos in ways that were sustainable and brought real benefits to the Lao people.
They discussed ways to improve the action plan for their strategic partnership so as to bring it in line with current circumstances and further strengthen cooperation.
The two parties also discussed the easing of measures introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in order to make working conditions easier for citizens of the two countries. It was suggested that people resident in each other’s country be monitored and their business operations tracked in ways that would enable people to continue working together and enhance outcomes in the future. The Lao delegation called for more Japanese businesses to set up operations in Laos.
The Lao and Japanese delegations also discussed cooperation in the fields of public security, economics, and infrastructure development, including a feasibility study on the Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway.
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They also exchanged views on regional and global situations of mutual interest.
Mr Saleumxay, representing the Lao government and people, thanked the Japanese government and people for their continuing support, especially the provision of official development assistance, the provision of Japanese volunteers and experts every year, and assistance with Covid-19 prevention and control.
Mr Toshimitsu said he highly valued the cooperation between Japan and Laos both within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Japan was pleased to continue the cooperation with Laos and deepen the longstanding tradition of good friendship and cooperation, as well as the strategic partnership.
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After the meeting, Mr Toshimitsu, representing the delegation and the Japanese government and people, handed over medical equipment worth 1.6 billion yen (US$13.7 million) to Laos to help with efforts to prevent a second wave of Covid-19.
Mr Toshimitsu and his delegation also paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith at the Prime Minister’s Office.
By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 24, 2020)
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8.24.2020
