Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam, Deputy Minister of Defense of Vietnam, received a delegation of officers from Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Self-Defense Forces, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation led by Major General Aoi Kei of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, in Hanoi on November 4.

Nam highly appreciated the close cooperation between the two Ministries of National Defense in implementing the Vietnam-Japan officer exchange program over the past seven years, helping to strengthen the friendship, cooperation, mutual understanding and trust between officers of the two ministries, the Vietnam People’s Army, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces, as well as between the two countries.

He noted that over 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Japan have seen their partnership develop steadily and substantially. Bilateral cooperation across all fields, from politics, defense, and security to economics, trade, investment, education, and people-to-people exchange, has flourished, contributing to the development of each country and to peace and stability in the region.

Nam highly regarded the principles and goals of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, especially its contributions to sustainable social development. He said the foundation actively supports countries in the region, including Vietnam, in international networking and cooperation, building schools for children in remote and ethnic minority areas, and providing artificial limbs and wheelchairs for people with disabilities.

Vietnam values the strengthening of exchanges and cooperation among organizations, considering it an effective channel for advancing the interests of both countries, he said.

Nam expressed his hope that the Sasakawa Peace Foundation would continue to support Vietnam in fields such as education, health care, environmental protection, human resource development, and humanitarian efforts, including assistance for people with disabilities, war veterans, and victims of Agent Orange.

According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam – Japan defense cooperation has seen significant advancements in various areas, including human resource training, capacity-building, and post-war recovery. The two sides maintain regular visit exchanges and support each other at multilateral defense forums, especially within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

The Vietnam-Japan officer exchange program, proposed and supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, has contributed to bilateral defense relations over recent years. To date, seven Vietnamese delegations have visited Japan, and six Japanese delegations have visited Vietnam. These exchanges, featuring diverse activities, have fostered mutual understanding and facilitated cooperative efforts between officers from both countries.

The Ministry of Defense of Vietnam supports and will continue to facilitate the program’s successful execution, he affirmed.

At the meeting, Major General Aoi Kei expressed a desire for enhanced cooperation between the two sides, especially in defense and security, hoping that the exchange program would further enhance solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between officers from both Ministries of Defense and between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

VOV