A total of 18 guests from Vietnam and Laos were invited to Japan this year to experience Japanese life firsthand and meet with counterparts in their respective fields. In an extension of the program, a delegation from Vietnam's Price Stability Fund was dispatched to Bangkok to study the Thai economy. The program also ties in with other projects supported under The Sasakawa Southeast Asia Cooperation Fund: this year's visitors to Japan included the winners of a Japanese speech contest held in Vietnam under the "Japanese Language Education in Vietnam" project, and a party from the State Bank of Vietnam visiting in connection with the "Assistance Program on Reform of Fiscal and Monetary Policies for Vietnam."