Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune (right) and Kenichi Kobayashi shake hands after signing the scholarship agreement. -Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE, May 23 (Vientiane Tines/ANN): The Japanese government will provide more scholarships for Lao government officials under the Japanese Grant Aid (JDS) scheme, with funding of 343 million yen.
An agreement on the provision of scholarships for master’s and doctorate degrees in Japan was signed on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.
The agreement was inked by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune and the Japanese Ambassador to Laos, Kenichi Kobayashi.
The JDS scholarships are provided by the Japanese government to Laos to improve the knowledge and skills of its civil servants.
From 1999 to the present, Laos has received 474 JDS scholarships, averaging 20 each year.
Lao government officials working in the fields of education, public health, agriculture and forestry, public works and transport and other sectors have been selected for study in Japan.
The programme has helped to improve the capacity of Lao government officials, enabling them to contribute more to Laos’ social and economic development.
On behalf of the government and people of Laos, Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune expressed his gratitude for the support and help of the government and people of Japan in past years.
Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) is at the forefront of foreign aid to Laos, averaging US$90-100 million a year.
Phoxay said the government considers education to be a primary factor in the strengthening of human resources for improved socio-economic development.
The Japanese government has provided extensive support to the Lao government in the field of education, such as the construction and improvement of schools in remote areas, the provision of educational materials, and the provision of scholarships.
The Japanese Ambassador to Laos, Mr Kenichi Kobayashi, said the Japanese government will continue to work closely with the Lao government to enhance friendship and cooperation, as well as the strategic partnership between the two countries, with a view to closer cooperation in the future. - Viemtiane Times/ANN
