Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Kano Koji, Japan Director General for Defense Policy, reaffirmed their commitment to beef up defense cooperation during a bilateral dialogue held in Japan on Monday.

The two officials co-chaired the 11th Vietnam-Japan defense policy dialogue in Fukuoka, where they reviewed bilateral defense cooperation, exchanged views on global and regional developments, and discussed other issues of mutual concern.

Deputy Minister Chien noted that since the previous Vietnam-Japan Defense Policy Dialogue, the defense partnership has received strong support from senior military leaders on both sides. 

Significant progress has been made in various areas, including delegation exchanges at different levels, education and training, capacity-building cooperation, dialogue and consultation mechanisms, defense industry collaboration, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, war consequence mitigation, military medicine, search and rescue, and participation in multilateral defense forums hosted by both countries.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Chien reaffirmed Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development. 

He emphasized Vietnam's commitment to diversifying and multilateralizing foreign relations, fostering cooperation with nations and international organizations for peace and development, and resolving disputes peacefully based on international law.

Vietnam remains steadfast in its defense policy of 'four nos': no engagement in military alliances, no alignment with any single nation against another, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese soil or use of Vietnam as a pawn to counteract other countries, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

Chien expressed Vietnam's hope that Japan would expand training programs and scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese personnel, as well as further support Vietnam in UN peacekeeping missions and war consequence mitigation. 

He also welcomed Japan's active participation in multilateral forums, particularly within ASEAN, to contribute to regional peace, stability, and cooperation.

On the East Vietnam Sea issue, the deputy minister stressed the importance of adhering to international norms and laws, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He also underscored the need to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea and expedite negotiations for a substantive and effective Code of Conduct for the waterway.

Meanwhile, Koji highlighted the significance of Vietnam-Japan relations, particularly in defense cooperation, and expressed satisfaction with the positive development of defense ties between the two nations over the years. 

He conveyed confidence that the open and constructive discussions in this dialogue would enhance the effectiveness and depth of Vietnam-Japan defense cooperation in the future.

Koji praised Vietnam's role in promoting regional and global peace and cooperation. He also commended the country’s achievements in its past struggle for independence and national unification, as well as its ongoing socio-economic development. 

Sharing views on global and regional developments, he emphasized the importance of the rule of law, collective efforts to maintain peace and stability, and fostering an environment of friendship, cooperation, and development.

Both sides acknowledged the significant and effective progress in defense cooperation and recognized the potential for further development. They pledged to deepen bilateral defense collaboration based on existing mechanisms and agreements established through their dialogues.

On this occasion, Chien extended an invitation to Koji to visit Vietnam for the 12th Vietnam-Japan defense policy dialogue.

The dialogue concluded with the signing of the official record of the 11th policy dialogue, reinforcing their commitment to future cooperation.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!