Japan agreed to provide Vietnam with technologies for building naval ships at a meeting between their defense ministry officials on Monday. At a meeting between Koji Yamazaki, Chief of the Self-Defense Forces’s Joint Staff, and Deputy Minister of Defense Phan Van Giang in Hanoi, the two countries agreed on several collaborations in future, including shipbuilding and economic manufacturing. Japan will also provide training in diving medicine and rescue and supply medical and rescue equipment to the Vietnam People’s Navy. The new agreement – an extension of a defence industrial accord signed in 2018 – was announced following bilateral defence talks held in Hanoi on 2 March.
Vietnam asked Japan to continue training its experts in military technology, collaborate in developing strategies for its peacekeeping forces, and take in its highly-skilled workers. They also agreed to strengthen ties between the Vietnam People’s Army and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force. The Japanese delegation, which is on a visit to Vietnam from March 1 to 4, will also visit the 249 Brigade under the High Command of Combat Engineers and the 147 Brigade under the Naval Command.
At the talks, Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang expressed his pleasure to welcome General Yamazaki Koji and his delegation to visit and work in Vietnam, believed that the visit would be successful, contribute to developing the Vietnam-Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership; create new drives to promote cooperation between two forces. At the talks, the two sides jointly evaluated the results of Vietnam – Japan defence relations over the past time based on the signed agreements; agreed on some cooperation activities in the coming time. Specifically, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in training, scientific research, military medicine, experience sharing on disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, …
