¡¡¡¡YANGON, July 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan provided to Myanmar a grant worth 5.1 million US dollars on Wednesday for launching a project to improve the country's maternal and child health care service.

¡¡¡¡The project, launched since 1999 in cooperation with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), have completed the previous three phases,spending a total of 14 million dollars so far. The grants will be used during the current fourth phase to purchase essential drugs and vaccines as well as HIV test kits.

¡¡¡¡The grants came a few days ahead of a scheduled visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, the first by a Japanese foreign minister to visit Myanmar since 1983.

¡¡¡¡Japan is Myanmar's biggest donor country. It resumed its humanitarian aid to Myanmar in 1995 after its suspension in 1988 when the Myanmar military came to power.

¡¡¡¡Shortly after release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the Japanese government expressed welcome over the move taken by the Myanmar government, saying that it will support Myanmar's effort towards nation-building in a more active manner. Enditem

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