Ministry of National Defense of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

11/26/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/26/2021 01:02

Vietnam, Japan continue to step up defence cooperation

(Bqp.vn) - Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang held talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo in Tokyo on November 23. The talks took place within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan.

General Phan Van Giang and Japanese Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo at the talks.

The Japanese defence minister affirmed that the visit would make an important contribution to maintaining momentum of cooperation, promoting the exchange of views on issues of mutual concern and orienting cooperation fields in the coming time.

General Phan Van Giang speaking at the talks.

At the talks, the two ministers agreed that based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Bilateral Defence Cooperation and Exchanges signed in October 2011 and the Joint Vision Statement on Defence Cooperation towards the next decade inked in April 2018, the two sides have closely coordinated together and promoted defence ties in a comprehensive, practical and effective manner in line with the Vietnam - Japan extensive strategic partnership.

Japanese Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo speaking at the talks.

They exchanged views on global and regional issues of mutual concern, including the importance of freedom of navigation and aviation amid complicated developments in the region and the world as well. The two ministers affirmed the importance of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in settling differences among concerned parties in disputed areas. They expected concerned sides to restrain, not to use force or threaten to use force, and settle disputes by peaceful measures in line with international law.

In the coming time, the two defence ministers agreed to direct relevant agencies of the two defence ministries to actively deploy agreements reached by their leaders, including an agreement on the transfer of military equipment and technology signed in September 2021 and two MoUs on cooperation in military medicine and cyber security signed during this visit.

General Phan Van Giang voiced his support for Kishi's proposal on holding an ASEAN - Japan Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting and backed Japan's active participation in ASEAN-led multilateral defence cooperation mechanisms, especially ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus), thus contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

Both ministers spoke highly of the results of the eighth defence policy dialogue at the deputy minister level held earlier and agreed to assign authorised agencies to effectively carry out the consented contents, thereby strengthening Vietnam - Japan defence ties in the new development period.

During the talks.

Following the talks, the two defence ministers witnessed the signing of two MoUs on cooperation in military medicine and cyber security between the two defence ministries.

Earlier the same day, the eighth Vietnam - Japan Defence Policy Dialogue was held under the co-chair of Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Japanese Deputy Defence Minister Tsuchimichi Akihiro.

At the dialogue, the two sides reviewed the outcomes of bilateral defence relations since the seventh dialogue, which took place in November 2019, and discussed measures to expand their cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks in the time to come.