Coast guard forces of Việt Nam, Japan strengthen cooperation

Overview of the 10th bilateral meeting between the Việt Nam Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard in Tokyo on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Tuân

TOKYO — Major General Vũ Trung Kiên, Deputy Commander in charge of law of the Việt Nam Coast Guard and Vice Commandant Watanabe Yasunori of the Japan Coast Guard co-chaired the 10th bilateral meeting between the two forces in Tokyo on Wednesday.

This is one of the last events of a series of cooperative activities this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Japan diplomatic relations, the 75th anniversary of the traditional day of the Japan Coast Guard and 25 years of the traditional day of the Việt Nam Coast Guard. It is held within the framework of a working trip to Japan by Vietnam Coast Guard delegation from December 19-22.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed their cooperative activities, including sending ships to visit each other and coordinating in non-combat exercises at sea, exchanging high-level delegations, completing procedures for a project on improving maritime law enforcement capacity for the Việt Nam Coast Guard funded by Japan and the 10th bilateral meeting between the two forces.

Major General Kiên emphasised that all cooperation activities between the two forces in 2023 have been carried out seriously and effectively, thus helping the Việt Nam Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard improve law enforcement capacity at sea.

He underlined that in the joint statement on upgrading the Việt Nam-Japan relations to a “Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world”, the two sides agreed to bolster cooperation in maritime security and safety through the enhancement of cooperation activities, including joint trainings, information sharing, and capacity building between the Coast Guards from both sides.

This is clear evidence that the leaders of Việt Nam and Japan acknowledged the sound cooperative relationship between the two coast guard forces and want to develop this cooperative relationship in the future to join hands to build safe, peaceful, cooperative and friendship maritime areas, he said.

The two sides agreed on cooperative activities in 2024, including organising the 11th bilateral meeting between the two forces in Việt Nam.

During its stay in Japan, the Việt Nam Coast Guard delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Commander of the Japan Coast Guard, met the former Deputy Commander of the Japanese Coast Guard and visited a number of units and ships of Yokohama Coast Guard Station. — VNS