（Press Release）
August 6, 2024
Ministry of Defense
On August 6 from AM 8:15 for approximately 90 minutes, Defense Minister Kihara held a meeting with the Viet Nam Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang. The summary is as follows. Note that date and time is Viet Nam Standard Time.
- At the outset of the meeting, Minister Giang welcomed Minister Kihara to Viet Nam. In response, Minister Kihara stated his condolences on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and welcomed his first visit to Viet Nam since taking office as Defense Minister and to hold a meeting with Minister Giang.
- The two Ministers presented expectations that Japan-Viet Nam defense cooperation and exchanges will further advance in various fields—including high-level exchanges, defense equipment and technology cooperation, capacity building assistance and educational exchanges—based on the bilateral relationship that was elevated to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” at the summit meeting at the end of last year.
- The two Ministers welcomed the transfer of anti-corrosion pre-treatment processing technology in December 2023, and the recent signing of the Memorandum of Implementation (MOI) and Letter of Arrangement (LOA) concerning the transfer of decommissioned material handling vehicles from Japan to Viet Nam as the first case of defense equipment transfer since the signing of the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Social Republic of Viet Nam concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology in 2021. Based on these developments, the two Ministers concurred to further promote defense equipment and technology cooperation.
- The two Ministers confirmed to continue strengthening bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation and exchanges.