Vietnamese, Japanese Defense Ministers hold talks in Tokyo
VGP - General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense held talks with Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro in Tokyo, on July 13.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang (L) holds talks with Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro, Tokyo, July 13, 2026 - Photo: VNA
Phan reiterated Viet Nam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of external relations, as well as its "Four No's" defense policy.
The "four nos" defense policy means: no partaking in military alliances, no siding with one country to act against another, no foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory or using Viet Nam as leverage to counteract other countries, and no using force or threatening to use force in international relations.
He affirmed the country's principled stance that disputes in the East Sea must be resolved via peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The guest stressed the importance of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and accelerating the conclusion of a substantive, effective, and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Phan expressed his appreciation to the Japanese Government and the Ministry of Defense for their support for Viet Nam to address the consequences of war and train military personnel.
He proposed that Japan continue expanding scholarship opportunities and increase training quotas in science, technology, and engineering for Vietnamese military cadets, while reaffirming that Viet Nam's Ministry of National Defense stands ready to receive Japanese cadets for study at its military academies and institutions.
The Vietnamese official urged both sides to effectively implement the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in search and rescue signed in December last year.
He extended an invitation to leaders of Japan's Ministry of Defense, the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and Japanese defense industry enterprises to participate in the third Viet Nam International Defense Expo, scheduled to take place in Ha Noi in December this year.
For his part, Koizumi reaffirmed that Viet Nam is an important partner of Japan in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The promotion of coordination between the two defense ministries is particularly significant amid the increasingly complex international security environment, noted the host.
Koizumi recalled Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's official visit to Viet Nam in recent May, during which the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Vision initiative was announced.
According to Koizumi, strengthening coordination and deepening ties between the two ministries of defense is of great importance, providing a solid foundation for both sides to enhance exchanges of views on issues of mutual concern.
He stated that Japan's Ministry of Defense will work closely with Viet Nam's Ministry of National Defense to effectively carry out the agreed areas of cooperation, thereby advancing the bilateral defense ties in line with the Viet Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.
Acknowledging the positive progress achieved in defense cooperation in recent years, the two sides pledged to promote exchanges of high-level delegations, bilateral cooperation mechanisms, education and training, defense industry cooperation, war legacy remediation, search and rescue, disaster response, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and coordination at multilateral forums, particularly the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus)./.
