Promoting defense cooperation, bringing Vietnam-Japan relations into depth, substance and effectiveness

During a reception for Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru, who is on an official visit to Vietnam on the afternoon of August 6 at the Government Office, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized promoting bilateral defense relations, bringing the Vietnam-Japan relationship to a deeper, more substantial and effective development, for peace, prosperity and development of each country, the region and the world.

On the afternoon of August 6, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru, who is on an official visit to Vietnam.

Through the Minister, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the Japanese leaders for sending a special envoy, former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, to pay tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and expressed condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam; and at the same time, he invited Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to visit Vietnam again at a suitable time.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru We are pleased to note that since the official establishment of diplomatic relations (September 1973), with the efforts of both sides, the Vietnam-Japan relationship has made steady progress, increasingly deepening, becoming more substantial and expanding in all areas. In 2023, the two countries organized nearly 500 practical and meaningful activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Vietnam consistently implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community for the goal of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world; attaches importance to and wishes to work with Japan to substantially and effectively implement the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

The Prime Minister suggested that the two sides continue to exchange delegations at all levels, especially at high levels; encourage Japanese investors to invest more in high quality in Vietnam along with technology transfer, cooperation to improve management capacity and human resource training; strengthen connectivity between the two economies, increase bilateral trade turnover, create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the Japanese market; promote new-generation ODA cooperation focusing on large and key projects; cooperate in new fields such as semiconductor chips, artificial intelligence, etc.; promote vocational training cooperation, labor cooperation and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Japan to live, study and work; promote cultural, sports and people-to-people exchanges; cooperate to solve issues related to population and development, resource depletion, digital transformation, green transformation, etc.

Confirm Defense cooperation is an important pillar in bilateral relations. The Prime Minister highly appreciated and suggested that the two Ministries of Defense continue to strengthen defense cooperation in the fields of human resource training, technology transfer, equipment support, cyber security, cooperation between defense enterprises, etc.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister thanked the Japanese Government for providing effective support and assistance to the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense; affirmed that the Vietnamese Government would create favorable conditions for the two countries' Ministries of National Defense to enhance exchanges, enhance understanding, strengthen mutual trust and cooperate on the basis of appropriate needs, cooperation capabilities and mutual benefits in the spirit of the bilateral relationship of "sincerity, affection and trust".

For his part, Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru expressed his deep condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who made great contributions to promoting the Vietnam-Japan relationship; highly appreciated the economic growth rate and rapid development of Vietnam in recent years. The Minister also announced the results of the successful talks with Defense Minister Phan Van Giang; said that this visit to Vietnam aims to further strengthen the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and promote defense cooperation in areas of mutual interest for further development in the coming time, including the areas mentioned by the Prime Minister.

The Minister said he would report to the competent authority and discuss with Japanese authorities to promote cooperation in other areas of cooperation that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had commented on.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed the world and regional situation; emphasized the importance of ensuring security, safety, freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, and resolving all disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Source