Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets Japanese Minister of Defense Kishi Nobuo, Tokyo, Japan, November 25, 2021 - Photo: VGP

PM Pham made the above statement at his reception for Japanese Minister of Defense Kishi Nobuo in Tokyo, Japan on November 25.

In pursuance of its foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, Viet Nam always sees Japan as a top, trusted and long-term partner, Pham assured.

He welcomed defense ministers of the two countries to have worked together to concretize cooperation content, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding on military medicine and cyber security cooperation on the occasion of Pham’s ongoing visit to Japan.

Pham also commended both sides have coordinated closely at regional and international forums as well as in the United Nations peacekeeping.

He suggested Kishi Nobuo further step up bilateral defense ties and help Viet Nam overcome war consequences.

For his part, Kishi affirmed that Japan will continue cooperation with Viet Nam, including enhanced exchanges between the two sides military forces, transfer of defense equipment and technology, search and rescue, and United Nations peace-keeping.

The same day, PM Pham hosted a reception for Kuroiwa Yuji, theGovernor of Kanagawa Prefecture./.