Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Japanese Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) signed an agreement ontechnological cooperation in irrigation and drainage, protection of marineresources, and responsible management of the fisheries sector at the5th Japan-Vietnam Agricultural Cooperation Dialogue and a public- private agricultural cooperation forum which took place virtually on December12.

At thedialogue, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong and Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kotaro Nogami reviewed cooperationresults between the two ministries in the past period, and agreed to jointlyimplement the Mid-term and long-term Vision on agricultural cooperation betweenthe two countries in the 2020 -2024period, concentrating on completing agricultural infrastructure, includingirrigation works, infrastructure facilitiesto support agricultural value chains, protectingthe environment and responding to climate change.

Especially, the two sides will also work closely to promote investment byprivate enterprises and apply technological advances to improve the governance capacityof agricultural value chains.  

Japan will support Vietnam in policy-making andtraining high-quality human resources in agriculture, expanding pilot models and,tapping potential and strengths of localities.

Cuong said the two sides can promote two-way trade inagricultural products as Japan is a country with a very modern and potentialagriculture.

Japan has been developing deeply and modernly in technology, agriculturalprocessing and it is also a good human resources training centre for agriculturaldevelopment, he noted.

According to Nogami, Vietnam ranks 6th among the agricultural product importersof Japan, so the new vision that the two sides have just signed will helppromote value chain development and expand investment opportunities between thetwo countries.

At the Vietnam-Japan Public-Private Agricultural CooperationForum, which attracted the participation of 100 enterprises of the two nations, Cuong said the Vietnamese Government always accompanies and createsopportunities for businesses to develop.

Vietnam wants to attract and cooperate with enterprises to invest in and applyhigh technologies in agricultural production, processing, preservation anddistribution of agricultural products and foodstuff, he stressed.

The MARD expects Japanese businesses to create joint venturepartnerships, and closely and trustworthy cooperate with Vietnamese businessesand farmers, he added.

Theclose cooperation between the two ministries, the willingness of privateenterprises, the creativity and industriousness of farmers is opening up greatopportunities for sustainable agricultural development for mutual benefitsof both nations, Cuong stated.

The first period of the Mid-term and long-term Vision on agricultural cooperationbetween the two countries in the 2015-2019 period focused on supporting Vietnam'sagriculture in building food value chains, responding to climate change and training high quality human resources.

A total of 11 technical assistance projects using non-refundable official development assistanceand Japanese loans-funded projects were implemented in the framework of theVision with a total investment of about 750 million USD./.