HANOI: Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang at a meeting in Hanoi Saturday agreed to further beef up the two countries’ defense cooperation.

In line with the meeting, the two nations signed an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology. Vietnam is the 11th country to have the pact with Japan. The 10 other countries include the United States and the Philippines.

Japan and Vietnam are set to work on coming up with details about their cooperation under the pact, including for warships.

Japan strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo with the threat of force and any acts to heighten tensions, Kishi said at the meeting with the Vietnamese defense minister, apparently keeping in mind China, which is stepping up activities in the East and South China seas.

The two ministers confirmed the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and abiding by international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

At a press conference after the meeting, Kishi said that the signing of the defense equipment and technology transfer pact led the bilateral defense cooperation to enter a new phase, underlining Japan’s policy of deepening its partnership with Vietnam partly through multilateral cooperation for the regional and international peace and stability.

JIJI Press