At the reception, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong highly valued the visit of General Yoshida Yoshihide, expressing his hope that it will contribute to enhancing friendship, cooperation, understanding and mutual trust between the two defense ministries in general and the two forces in particular.
    |
 |
|
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong (right) and General Yoshida Yoshihide at the reception |
He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches much importance to developing a deep strategic partnership with Japan. On that basis, the bilateral defense cooperation over the past time has achieved strong development steps. The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense highly appreciated the cooperation and support of the Japanese side in the fields of education, training, and U.N. peacekeeping operations.
The Vietnamese defense official appreciated the results of previous talks between General Yoshida Yoshihide and Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, affirming that the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam will always assist and create all favorable conditions for the two sides to fully and effectively implement the reached cooperation contents. The chief of the General Staff asked the guest to continue to pay attention and give support so that the cooperation relationship between the two militaries will develop in a more practical and sustainable manner.
For his part, General Yoshida Yoshihide thanked the host for a warm welcome. He applauded the outcomes of the previous talks and hoped that it will be a foundation for the two militaries to enhance collaboration in the near future.
Previously, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, had a talks with General Yoshida Yoshihide at the Vietnamese defense ministry’s headquarters.
At the talks, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia stressed that the visit of the Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has a special meaning when in 2023 Vietnam and Japan celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. He believed that the visit will contribute to deepening the Vietnam - Japan relationship in general, and between the two defense ministries in particular, thereby creating a driving force to promote cooperation between the two militaries.
The two sides agreed to continue boosting cooperation contents such as delegation exchange, U.N. peacekeeping operations, military medicine, cyber security, personnel training, search and rescue, and effective consultations between staff of the two militaries.
Regarding the regional and global issues of mutual concern, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining an environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the East Sea (South China Sea).
Vietnam persists in resolving all issues in the East Sea by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. The country also attaches much importance to ASEAN's central role and ASEAN-led mechanisms, thereby contributing to promoting dialogue and cooperation among member states as well as external partners, while maintaining the environment of peace and stability in the region and the world.
Translated by Trung Thanh