Vice Admiral Pham Hoai Nam (left), Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, meets with Admiral Yutaka Murakawa, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force on the sidelines of the 16th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS). (Photo: qdnd.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Admiral Pham Hoai Nam, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy met with high-ranking naval officials of Japan and India in Jeju Island, the Republic of Korea on October 11, a day before the 16th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) opens.
He met with Admiral Yutaka Murakawa, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, during which the two sides expressed delight at the success of visits of Vietnamese frigate 015 – Tran Hung Dao to Japan and Japan’s first submarine visit to Vietnam last month. The visits were welcomed by the people, armies and navies of both sides.
Murakawa lauded the two countries’ naval cooperation, which plays a vital role in bilateral relations.
Nam, for his part, said Vietnam looks forward to welcoming more naval ships from Japan and expects the two navies will advance their partnership and increase exchange of visits to deepen mutual understanding for the common goals of freedom of navigation, peace and stability in the region.
The Vietnamese commander later met with Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.
He thanked the Indian Navy and Ministry of Defence for helping the Vietnam People’s Navy implement the collaborative agreement between the two sides.
The Vietnamese navy views its Indian counterpart as a great friend, Nam said, proposing the two navies maintain their bilateral naval advisory mechanism, which has proven effective in recent years.
Singh agreed with Nam’s proposal and extended his thanks towards the Vietnamese defence ministry and navy for the warm reception for Indian naval ships.
He also voiced his hope that Vietnam and India will maintain regular exchange of visits and share information. Joint exercises will lay foundation for fostering cooperation between the two navies in the future, he said.
The WPNS, a global forum on maritime security, has been held every two years since 1988, aiming to promote trust and cooperation among navies in the region.
This year’s event takes place in the resort island of Jeju on October 12, bringing together 150 naval representatives from 46 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the UK. –VNA
VNA
