Two Japanese destroyers start visit to Vietnam

Senior Captain Nguyen Thai Hoc presents flowers to the Japanese delegation.

On board of the destroyers is a delegation of 559 officers and sailors, led by Rear Admiral Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander of Escort Flotilla 1.

Senior Captain Nguyen Thai Hoc, Second-in-Command of Naval Region 4, chaired a reception for the Japanese delegation at the port. He was joined by Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Huu Hoang, representatives of the Department of Foreign Relations under the Ministry of National Defense, the provincial Military Command, the provincial Border Guard Command and the Division of Foreign Relations under the Naval Service.

Vietnamese naval officers welcome their peers from Japan.

The hosts and guests in a joint photo

The Vietnam visit of the two Japanese destroyers is one of the specific activities in actualization of the project on celebrating the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan (September 21, 1973 - 2023), creating a positive mark in the bilateral defense ties.

As envisaged, during their stay in Khanh Hoa province, the ships’ chain-of-command will pay a courtesy call on the leaders of the provincial People’s Committee, the Naval Region 4 Command, and visit the Naval Academy. In addition, the Japanese crew-members will have a sport exchange with their peers from the Naval Region 4 Command.

The Japanese side will host Vietnamese representatives on the destroyers and hold a party there.

Izumo and JS Samidare destroyers at Cam Ranh International Port

The visit is expected to help boost the mutual understanding and coordination capability between the Vietnam People’s Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, thus consolidating and promoting the bilateral defense cooperation in particular and the cooperation between the two countries in general to a new height.

Translated by Mai Huong