The government of Japan provides US$8 million in grants
Introduction: The government of Japan yesterday officially agreed to provide grant assistance to the Lao government for two projects worth about US$8 million (over 64 billion kip).
Story: The grant will fund two projects: Strengthening Research and Development on Fisheries and Aquaculture with about US$5.8 million (over 46 billion kip), and Human Resource Development Scholarships with US$2.1 million (more than 17 billion kip).
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alounkeo Kittikhoun signed and exchanged documents on the two grant-in-aid projects with Japanese Ambassador to Laos Hiroyuki Kishino.
According to Ambassador Kishino, agriculture and fishery play an important role in ensuring food security. In Laos, freshwater fish supplies almost half of the population’s intake of animal protein.
Human resources are the foundation of nation-building. For socio-economic development, the importance of human resource development cannot be over-emphasised.
This is all the more so in view of the launching of the Asean Economic Community at the end of this year.
Since Japanese fiscal year 1999 when the programme started, it has sponsored 314 Lao citizens to study in Japan with total funding of about US$35 million (over 283 billion kip).
Source: Lao National Television News in English (LNTV)
Broadcast on May 28, 2015
