An agreements on Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) loans worth over Yen 25.8 billion (US$290 million) for five key infrastructure construction projects in Vietnam was signed yesterday, making up US$1.6 billion in Japan’s total ODA to 11 projects in Vietnam in the 2009 fiscal year. Under the agreement signed by Deputy Finance Minister Tran Xuan Ha and Chief Representative of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) Monotori Tsuno, the ODA will be geared for projects on construction of Terminal T2 at the Noi Bai International Airport and an expressway from the airport to the inner area of Hanoi, the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Zone, the Can Tho bridge and other bridges on Highway 1.

The above-said Yen 25.8 billion has been Japan’s biggest ODA to Vietnam since 1992.