Second Vietnam-Japan defense policy dialogue

A high-ranking Vietnamese military delegation, led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense, attended the second Vietnam-Japan Defense Policy Dialogue on August 9.

The dialogue took place within the framework of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Deputy Minister of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh paid a courtesy call to Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera. (Photo: Huu Thang/VNA)

Deputy Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh said: “The Vietnamese and Japanese defense representatives both agreed that the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years will have many opportunities for development. However, the Asia-Pacific region can only develop if we maintain a peaceful and stable region.”
The two sides also assessed that besides opportunities and advantages, the region still faces challenges that in the future, without the efforts of each country as well as international cooperation, the development potential of the region will be seriously affected.

The second dialogue also focused on major issues such as non-traditional security, nuclear issues, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, maritime security, anti-piracy, etc.

Regarding the issue of sovereignty over seas and islands, the two sides affirmed the necessity of resolving disputes and differences by peaceful means, avoiding armed conflicts, and called on parties to comply with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides agreed to support each other in research capacity, maritime management and actively participate in international forums to develop regulations and codes of conduct at sea, in accordance with international law, ensuring no conflicts or instability occur.

The Vietnam-Japan defense policy dialogue is also an opportunity for the two sides to re-evaluate and concretize defense cooperation since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation and exchange.

The dialogue also addressed specific areas of cooperation such as delegation exchanges, human resource training, defense industry, experience sharing in humanitarian assistance, search and rescue and maritime security.

During the dialogue, the two sides mentioned the field of cooperation in multilateral forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) to ensure the building of a peaceful and stable region. In addition, the two sides also discussed cooperation and sharing of experiences in the field of peacekeeping.

Vietnam informed Japan about its participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. Japan highly appreciated Vietnam's participation in this force and expressed its willingness to strengthen cooperation and support Vietnam in the initial stages in terms of technology, management methods, and voice in international forums.

The dialogue also mentioned cooperation in the defense industry, whereby the two countries will cooperate in research, development and application of science and technology in this field.

Humanitarian issues and overcoming the consequences of war were also mentioned by both sides in this dialogue. Japan highly supports Vietnam's proposal of "humanitarian mine action" at the upcoming ADMM+ conference in Brunei. In addition, Vietnam is also researching the application of some Japanese technologies to overcome the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin.

Previously, on the morning of August 8, Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh paid a courtesy visit to Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and conveyed the warm regards of Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh to the Japanese Defense Minister, and also invited Minister Onodera to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh expressed Vietnam's wish to promote full, comprehensive, reliable and effective defense cooperation for the benefit of the two countries and to ensure peace, stability and development in the region. The Japanese Defense Minister also thanked Minister Phung Quang Thanh and will arrange to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

During their stay in Japan, the delegation visited the Peacekeeping Center and several units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The delegation also visited Sojitz Corporation to hear about the research project on treating Agent Orange/dioxin using cold grinding technology. This technology has the outstanding advantage of not generating heat or gas but using impact during the grinding process with some accompanying chemicals to neutralize soil and materials contaminated with dioxin into materials that are safe for humans and can be used in construction and products serving life.

Sojitz's new processing technology, if successful, will be a superior technology with the potential for effective application in Vietnam in the future./.

According to VNA - LT