VietNamNet Bridge – In the meeting with his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan in Hanoi on October 31, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam had chosen Japan as its partner in developing the rare earth industry.

 

 

The information was released at a press conference held after the meeting.

Japanese PM Naoto Kan paid an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of PM Nguyen Tan Dung, after attending the 17^th ASEAN Summit and other summits in Hanoi.

Vietnam also chooses Japan as its partner to build the nuclear power plant No. 2.

Prime Minister Kan confirmed that the Japanese government will support Vietnam in major projects including Long Thanh International Airport, Ninh Binh-Bai Vot and Nha Trang-Phan Thiet highways, and new underground railways in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Japan will also provide Vietnam with 79 billion Japanese Yen in ODA for key projects such as the Lach Huyen international airport in Hai Phong.

The two Prime Ministers also agreed to work closely on regional and international issues like security and climate change.

They signed a joint declaration on the comprehensive development of Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.

Earlier, on October 29, the spokesperson of the Japanese PM Office told the media in Hanoi that Japanese firms are eyeing to explore and import rare earths from Vietnam as China recently cut down its export of rare earths to Japan by 40 percent.

Japan also seeks to import rare earths from India and Australia. At the same time, it is seeking new technologies to replace rare earths and solutions to cope with the shortage of this material.

Vietnam has potential of rare earths but it has not defined the reserve yet.

XLinh