Tokyo (VNA) – Chief of the General Staff of theVietnamese People’s Army and Deputy Defence Minister Phan Van Giang and AdmiralKatsutoshi Kawano, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defence Forces, held talksin Tokyo on March 4 following the welcome ceremony.
They agreed that mutual trust and understanding between bothsides have been strengthened, as well as coordination and mutual support atmultilateral forums, especially at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEANDefence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM ) have been promoted.
Kawano thanked Vietnam for creating conditions for Japaneseself-defence forces to exchange with Vietnamese armed forces.
He suggested maintaining activities at sea and facilitatingexchanges with Vietnamese army units.
Giang thanked Japan for its support in human resourcestraining, Vietnam’s participation in the United Nations peacekeeping activities,and the national defence capacity improvement programme.
He agreed to continue exchanges among armed forces to fostertrust and for the benefit of the two countries, the region and the world.
The Japanese side also briefed the delegation about the regionalsecurity environment and Japan’s policy.
During a courtesy call to Japanese Defence Minister TakeshiIwaya in the afternoon the same day, Giang informed his host about the outcomesof his talks with the Admiral, while affirming that the visit aims toconcretise the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam – Japan Defence Cooperationtowards the next decade between the two defence ministries.
He asked Japan to continue sharing its experience in naturaldisaster prevention and overcoming post-war aftermaths such as bombs, mines anddioxin.
Iwaya expressed his belief that bilateral defence ties willsee new progresses, including in training and natural disaster prevention.
He said Japan always treasures ties with ASEAN, includingVietnam, and congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting the second DPRK-USAsummit in Hanoi.
During the stay, the delegation visited Kisarazu air fieldof the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and met Vietnamese embassy staff inJapan.
Their four-day working trip will last on March 5.-VNA
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