Former Japanese PM presents wheelchairs to Vietnamese disabled

(VNF) - Former Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio and the Japanese Friendship Association (JFA) presented 60 wheelchairs to disabled Vietnamese children and Agent Orange (AO) victims at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 12^th.

The recipients come from the northern provinces of Hung Yen, Ha Nam and Thai Binh, among others.

Mr. Hatoyama, in his speech, said he was keen to cooperate with Vietnam to provide humanitarian assistance for children AO child victims, adding that it is the third time he has donated wheelchairs in Vietnam and wished to rally more funds for the efforts soon.

He said that the JFA will help Vietnam clean up dioxin-contaminated areas and make quality wheelchairs.

The handover ceremony on March 12^th. (Photo: Internet)

Deputy Health Minister Pham Le Tuan thanked the Japanese people for their support to Vietnamese people with disabilities.

He recalled that former PM Hatoyama met disabled children in Vietnam in 2013 and collected 50 wheelchairs to donate to children with Agent Orange/Dioxin (AO) disabilities at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam-Japan clinic in Hanoi for the first time in September 2014.

In October 2015, another 50 wheelchairs to Vietnam worth JPY 3.98 million (about USD 34,000) were handed over to AO victims from provinces nationwide, including Dong Nai, Hung Yen and Nghe An.

Hatoyama Yukio, who served as Prime Minister of Japan from September 2009 to June 2010, was also President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance.

He received the Friendship Order from President Truong Tan Sang for his contributions to strengthening the Japan-Vietnam relationship in Hanoi in October 2013./.

Translated by Minh Phuong