VPA leader talks with Japanese top defense leader

PANO - General Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, hosted a reception for the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation, led by Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong at the headquarters of the Japanese National Defense Ministry on October 11.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong leaves for official visit to Japan

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong pays official visit to New Zealand

Chief of General Staff Nguyen Tan Cuong pays courtesy call on Australian Deputy PM and Defense Minister

After the official welcoming ceremony, both sides held talks.

Reportedly, over the past time, the bilateral defense cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has been continuously expanded and deepened with fruitful outcomes. It has developed on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Defense Cooperation and Exchanges signed in October 2011, and the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation towards the next decade in April 2018.

Accordingly, both sides have implemented delegation exchanges, especially high-ranking delegations, maintained consultation mechanisms; boosted cooperation in the fields of defense industry, military training and education, U.N. peacekeeping operations, and overcoming war-left aftermaths; and supported each other at regional multilateral forums, especially within the framework of ADMM+, among others.

Notably, in September this year, the two countries worked together to successfully organize the competency evaluation for prospective peacekeeper program 2023 (CEPPP) in Vietnam, and co-chaired the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group in the 2021-2023 period.

Regarding cooperation orientations in the time ahead, both sides agreed to further boost the Vietnam - Japan defense ties, focusing on some fields such as delegation exchange, maintaining consultation mechanisms, U.N. peacekeeping operations, defense industry, and military medicine, to name but a few.

Earlier, the two delegations’ leaders had a courtesy meeting. At the meeting, they handed over souvenirs to each other.

Here are some images during the events.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong and General Yoshida Yoshihide joining the flag-saluting ceremony

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong reviewing the Guards-of-Honor

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong introducing members of the Vietnamese delegation

General Yoshida Yoshihide and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong co-chair the talks.

An overview of the talks

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong writing down in the guestbook prior to the official talks

General Yoshida Yoshihide and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong at the courtesy meeting

At the courtesy meeting

Both sides handing over souvenirs to each other

* On the same day, in the framework of his working visit to Japan, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong paid a courtesy call on Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru.

He thanked the host for his warm reception for the Vietnamese delegation, and conveyed the invitation to visit Vietnam of Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang to his Japanese counterpart.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong (left) hands over the letter of congratulation of Vietnamese Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang to Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru.

Gen. Cuong underscored that 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic ties. On the occasion, both sides have been working together to organize meaningful activities. Over the past years, the bilateral defense cooperation has been continuously promoted, on the basis of the sound relations between the two countries. Accordingly, both sides regularly paid visits to each other and maintained multilateral forums, while working closely in personnel training, among others.

He also informed the results of the talks between the two delegations, expressing his hope that the Japanese Defense Minister would direct functional organs to comprehensively implement agreed defense cooperation contents, contributing to deepening the bilateral relations.

At the meeting

The Vietnamese deputy defense minister noted that both sides always attach much importance to humanitarian aids and overcoming war aftermaths. Therefore, he hoped that in the time ahead, relevant units of the two defense ministries would further boost their cooperation, especially in bomb and mine clearance and dioxin detoxification.

On the occasion, Gen. Cuong thanked the Japanese side and defense industry enterprises for supporting Vietnam to successfully organize the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2022, hoping that they would continue to join the edition in 2024.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong presents a souvenir to the host.

The Japanese defense minister presents a souvenir to the guest.

For his part, Mr. Kihara Minoru warmly welcomed Gen. Cuong and the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation. Regarding the Vietnam - Japan defense cooperation, he held that the bilateral relationship is stepping into a new period, in which, high-ranking exchange is further boosted, paving the way for cooperation in many other fields. He expressed his hope that the relations would be further lifted to a new height, noting that he will visit Vietnam as soon as possible.