Vietnam's Deputy Minister of National Defense Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh has suggested Japanese agencies coordinate with Vietnam’s National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences (Committee 701) in building cooperation plans for both short- and long-terms. At a reception for Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda in Hanoi on August 13, Vinh spoke highly of the support provided by the Japanese Government and agencies through projects regarding bomb and mine clearance, dioxin contamination remediation and assistance to Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims. He highlighted Japan’s non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) to the national action centre on overcoming toxic chemicals and environment consequences in purchasing equipment and machines in service of dioxin study and analysis. More attention should be paid to the communication work in order to help people of the two countries and the international community better understand about their collaboration in the work, the Deputy Minister said. The two sides shared the views that national defense cooperation is one of the important pillars of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership, which is developing fruitfully. Vietnam and Japan have exchanged all-level delegations, jointly held national defense policy dialogues at the deputy minister level, cooperated in personnel training and shared experience in joining United Nations peacekeeping operations, they said. Vinh expressed his hope that the two countries will step up defense ties and pay more attention to partnership in training and settling war consequences in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense always supports Japan to enhance its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said, calling on Japan to actively participate and back Vietnam’s initiatives, and provide consultations for the country in organizing meetings and activities in 2020 when it assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship. (VOV Aug 13)
