At the reception, Mr. Masaaki Kobayashi said environmental issue and economic development in cities play an important role in achieving sustainable development targets while ensuring good living environment for local people. In the past years, Japan has promoted environmental model city programs for cities in Southeast Asia region; this has been resulted in huge success.

Osaka city and HCMC have signed a co-operation program of “low carbon city development”. In the framework of the program, Japan has supported HCMC to implement some projects, the upcoming projects is usage of methane gas and fermentation for organic waste in Binh Dien wholesale market. Mr. Kobayashi Masaaki said Japan highly valued this project and expected a close co-operation from HCMC to make this project successful and to replicate this model in other localities.

 
In his part, Mr. Le Van Khoa expressed his delight at important developments of Japan-Vietnam relation in general and between Osaka and HCMC in particular. He highly valued support of Japan for HCMC through ODA projects, especially in field of environment. 

Mr. Le Van Khoa said HCMC is always attaching great importance to sustainable development. Therefore, apart from economic development, the city also gives a high priority to environment. He affirmed that HCMC’s authority will direct functional organs to work closely with Japan to implement the important project in Binh Dien wholesale market, to make it a success and to contribute to the process of organic waste treatment and to generate energy from waste gas.

Mr. Khoa expressed his hope that Japan will promote similar projects and support HCMC to solve issues of wastewater and flooding.

HCM CITYWEB