Page 10 - VIETNAM DEFENCE EXPO 2024 - Day 1 | GBP

In Japan, Vietnam Has a New Defence Ally

1944-2024) and 35 years of the All-
People Defence Festival. During the
event, Vietnamese Ambassador to
Japan Pham Quang Hieu described
the bilateral defence relationship as a
cornerstone of the broader Vietnam-
Japan partnership, becoming a bright
spot in bilateral relations.

Regarding defence ties with Japan, the
envoy said that along with maintaining
regular visits and delegation exchanges,
including the visit by Japan’s Defence
Minister to Vietnam in August, the two
sides have maintained cooperation
mechanisms such as the deputy min-
isterial-level Defence Policy Dialogue.

Both sides have signed numerous de-
fence cooperation agreements and
strengthened ties in areas such as post-
war recovery efforts, training, military
In view of the increasing regional se- the two sides have made strong de- medicine, search and rescue operations,
curity threats, Japan and Vietnam are velopments in the field of defence and and UN peacekeeping missions.
bolstering their defense relations. security.
The two sides have also coordinat-
During talks between the Defence In September, member of the Central ed closely within the ASEAN Defence
Ministers of Vietnam and Japan in Military Commission and Deputy Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM +).
Hanoi in August, the two sides agreed Minister of National Defence Sen.
to continue to effectively maintain bilat- Lieut. Gen Pham Hoai Nam hosted a In 2023, Japan and Vietnam agreed to
eral defence cooperation mechanisms. reception in Hanoi for President of the expand cooperation in cybersecurity,
National Defence Academy of Japan military training and defense equip-
Reflecting on the progress of bilateral Kubo Fumiaki. ment transfers. The initiatives align with
defence ties, a senior Vietnam defence Tokyo’s strategy to bolster security ties
ministry official highlighted the tangible Nam highlighted the major strides in with Southeast Asian nations to uphold
results achieved since the signing of defence cooperation between the two a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
the Joint Vision Statement on Defence nations, noting regular visits by leaders
Cooperation toward the next decade by from the two countries’ defence min- Japan continues to expand other forms
the two defence ministries in April 2018. istries, armies and national defence of international cooperation, all of which
These include the exchange of high-level forces, as well as engagements at mul- could benefit its defence industry. With
delegations, defence policy dialogue, tilateral forums. He underlined practical the U.S., Japan is further deepening
education-training, military medicine, results in personnel training, cyberse- defence-industrial cooperation through
search and rescue, post-war recovery, curity, and post-war recovery efforts the Defense Industrial Cooperation,
capacity-building support programmes, among armed forces, with education Acquisition, and Sustainment Forum.
and mutual consultation and support at and training being a standout area of
multilateral forums and mechanisms, collaboration.
particularly those led by ASEAN. In addition, in March 2024, Japan be-
gan participating in the Organisation
High-level dialogues and meetings for Joint Armament Cooperation’s
Cooperation between Japan and are continuing. Talks between Japan’s Eurodrone uninhabited aerial vehicle
Việtnam has a special mention in new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and programme as an observer.
Japan’s new defense white paper 2024 Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh
released on July 12. Chinh at the ASEAN Summit in October
are an example. Also, in the same month, the Japanese
cabinet agreed to revise its arms-ex-
The white paper emphasizes that af- ports policy to allow the sale of
ter the two countries upgraded their In November, the Vietnamese Embassy next-generation combat aircraft that
relations to a comprehensive strategic in Japan held a ceremony to cele- Japan is jointly developing with the UK
partnership for peace and prosperity in brate the 80th anniversary of the and Italy under the Global Combat Air
Asia and the world in November 2023, Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, Programme (GCAP).

10 DECEMBER-19-2024 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/DAILY NEWS