Japan’s Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Serizawa Kiyoshi (R) and Colonel Pham Manh Thang, head of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Photo: The World & Vietnam Report

Japan’s Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Serizawa Kiyoshi visited the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Hanoi on February 27, during which the two sides sought cooperation opportunities in UN peacekeeping in the time ahead.

Kiyoshi was in Hanoi to co-chair the 10th Vietnam-Japan Defence Policy Dialogue at the deputy ministerial level, which took place later the same day, VietnamPlus said.

The official highlighted cooperation between the two countries in peacekeeping operations and expressed his hope for further collaboration in the areas where both have strengths and demand.

For his part, Colonel Pham Manh Thang, head of the department, thanked Japan for its support to Vietnam in UN peacekeeping and suggested the two sides promote cooperation in this regard.

The two sides agreed to strengthen such cooperation through the exchange of delegations and expertise, training and technical support, as well as coordination in organizing relevant conferences, workshops, and forums.

At the meeting between the Japanese delegation and representatives from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Hanoi on February 27. Photo: The World & Vietnam Report

Japan will continue to invite Vietnamese soldiers to short-term peacekeeping training courses and exercises in the country and help the Southeast Asian nation raise capacity for its peacekeeping lecturers.

In addition, professional, cultural, and sports exchanges will be held for Vietnamese and Japanese forces deployed at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Japan is an important international partner of Vietnam in UN peacekeeping, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the two countries' defense ministries in September 2015.

Multilaterally, the two countries have coordinated, co-chaired, and successfully organized meetings and activities of the Experts' Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

They have also worked together within the UN Triangular Partnership Program (TPP), with Japan coordinating and supporting Vietnam in conducting three training courses for peacekeeping engineers.

Commitments to stronger defense ties

At the 10th Vietnam-Japan Defence Policy Dialogue. Photo: VNA

At the 10th Vietnam-Japan defense policy dialogue, co-chaired by Kiyoshi and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien, the two sides agreed to further promote the exchange of all-level delegations and joint work in education training, defense industry, military medicine, navy, cybersecurity, search and rescue, peacekeeping, post-war recovery, and improving law enforcement capabilities at sea.

They pledged to continue with the capacity-building support programs in areas of their strengths and needs, and increase coordination and consultation in multilateral mechanisms, particularly in the ADMM, according to Nhan dan (People) Newspaper.

Reflecting on the progress of bilateral defense ties, Chien highlighted the tangible results achieved since the signing of the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation toward the next decade by the two ministries in April 2018. These include the exchange of high-level delegations, defense policy dialogue, education training, military medicine, search and rescue, post-war recovery, capacity-building support programs, and mutual consultation and support at multilateral forums and mechanisms, particularly those led by ASEAN.

On the global and regional issues of shared concern, he underlined Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, multilateralization and diversification of external relations, and the "four no's" defense policy.

Vietnam always expects countries to resolve issues through dialogue, peaceful means based on international law and commitments, together building an environment of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, he said.

Kiyoshi, for his part, underscored the importance of the Vietnam-Japan relationship and their defense ties in particular.

Sharing views on regional and world situations, the vice minister underlined the rules-based spirit and joining hands to build a peaceful, friendly environment for cooperation and development.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Defense is ready to welcome Japanese officers to the international defense officials’ courses at the National Defense Academy and Vietnamese language courses offered by the Military Science Academy, Chien said.

On the occasion, Chien invited leaders of the Japanese Ministry of Defense and defense enterprises to the second Vietnam International Defense Expo scheduled for December 2024./.

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