During talks in Hanoi with General Uchikura Hiroaki, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from May 31 to June 3, General Cuong expressed his sincere gratitude to the Japanese Government for its active support for Vietnam in cooperation to overcome the consequences of war through the donation of equipment for dioxin and environmental analysis, and for actively implementing the non-refundable grant project to provide equipment for bomb and mine clearance to Vietnam.
The Vietnamese General said he hopes that the Japanese Ministry of Defense would continue to provide existing scholarships and expand the types of training in science, technology, and engineering for the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense. The Vietnamese side is ready to receive students from the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces to attend the International Defense Officials Course and Vietnamese language courses at academies and schools in Vietnam, he added.
There has been a new development in search and rescue with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2025 between the two ministries of defense, General Cuong said and expressed his hope that both sides would soon implement the Memorandum of Understanding with specific cooperation agenda.
Believing that the official visit to Vietnam is an opportunity to deepen Vietnam-Japan cooperation, General Uchikura Hiroaki expressed his hope that in the future, the two sides will continue to coordinate and implement the agreed-upon agenda. They will focus on exchange of delegations, training, cooperation between military branches, and United Nations peacekeeping, contributing to promoting bilateral defense cooperation commensurate with the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
Earlier, the delegation laid wreaths at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh; laid wreaths at the Monument to the Heroes and Martyrs; and visited several agencies, units, and historical sites in Hanoi city and Bac Ninh province.
During the visit, the delegation paid a courtesy call on General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, and held a meeting with Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, Deputy Minister of National Defense.
