Can Tho seeks to develop long-term relations with JICA

Can Tho considers Japan its strategic partner and pledges to mobilise it’s resources efficiently, in order to enable JICA’s volunteers to operate effectively, thereby expanding and fostering the long-term cooperative relations with the Japanese agency.

JICA will continue sending volunteers to support Can Tho in the fields of health and sports throughout 2017. (Image for illustration)
JICA will continue sending volunteers to support Can Tho in the fields of health and sports throughout 2017. (Image for illustration)

Vice Chairman of the Can Tho municipal People’s Committee, Truong Quang Hoai Nam, made the remark on June 14 at a working session with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the reception of volunteers to work in the city in 2017 under JICA Vietnam’s voluntary programme.

The volunteers sent by JICA have a high sense of responsibility, get on well with colleagues and integrate quickly into their new environment, Nam said, noting that Can Tho recognises the recommendations and contributions made by JICA representatives on voluntary work.

The local official expressed his belief that JICA will continue to introduce and connect Can Tho to other Japanese organisations, individuals and businesses, while considering the opening of its representative office in the city to promote closer and deeper ties between Japan and Can Tho, as well as the remaining 12 provinces of the Mekong Delta region.

For her part, Minagawa Mamiko, senior advisor of JICA’s Japan overseas cooperation volunteers (JOCV) programme, said that since it officially opened a representative office in Vietnam in 1995, JICA has sent 422 Japanese volunteers, to many cities and provinces across the country, to provide support in the fields of health, education, agriculture and supporting industries.

So far, Can Tho has received over 30 JICA volunteers, the largest number in the Mekong Delta region. Throughout 2017, the Japanese agency will continue sending volunteers to support Can Tho in the fields of health and sports.

JICA wishes for closer collaboration with Can Tho to send additional volunteers in a number of new areas such as business administration and information technology, in order to support activities to promote investment from Japan into Can Tho in the future, Mamiko added.