During their talks in Hanoi on Monday, Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phung Quang Thanh and his Japanese counterpart pledged to boost friendship, mutual trust and understanding between the two nation’s militaries. General Thanh welcomed Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, who is leading a Japanese delegation on a visit to Vietnam. Thanh expressed his belief that this visit would contribute to promoting the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan. Defense Minister Thanh also asked the Japanese side to help Vietnam with technology and equipment related to dealing with unexploded ordnance left behind from past wars. Defense Minister Onodera thanked General Thanh for his hospitality and noted that the bilateral defense exchange and cooperation between the two countries has been implemented actively and effectively in recent years. The Japanese minister also believes that his visit will help further boost bilateral defense cooperation in the future. The two ministers discussed measures to elevate defense ties and shared their views on international and regional issues of mutual interest. The same day Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also held a reception for the Japanese defense minister, at which the PM said the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan has brought practical benefits to both countries. PM Dung affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy of attaching importance to the strategic partnership with Japan and expressed his hope that the two countries would continue to support each other at regional and international forums, including the United Nations.

In order to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding, the two defense ministries should step up their cooperation through dialogues and exchanges of delegations, the PM said. He also asked Japan to assist Vietnam in training in foreign languages, modernizing its marine police force, and joining UN-led peacekeeping operations. In reply, Minister Onodera told PM Dung that at the talks between him and General Thanh, the two Ministries of Defense had agreed to cooperate in human resource training, bomb and mine clearance, modernization of marine police forces, and military technical areas. The Japanese minister expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Government would always support cooperation between the two defense ministries. During their stay in Vietnam, the Japanese delegation is scheduled to visit the High Command of Naval Zone 4, a number of military academies, and the Commando School.