TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday that his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang will make a four-day visit to Japan beginning Sunday as the two countries seek to further strengthen defense ties.
Koizumi and Giang, who doubles as deputy prime minister, are scheduled to hold talks Monday at Japan’s Defense Ministry, where they are expected to exchange views on regional security developments and discuss defense equipment and technology cooperation.
Koizumi said he last met Giang during a courtesy call on Vietnamese President and Communist Party chief To Lam on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore in late May.
“Vietnam is an important partner for Japan in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Koizumi told a news conference.
The Vietnamese defense minister last visited Japan in November 2021.