Tokyo, Hanoi agree on defense

Tokyo, Hanoi agree on defense

Tokyo (DPA): Japan and Vietnam agreed on Tuesday to keep up "the recent momentum" of high-level defense and security dialog between them, while Tokyo vowed to continue supporting Hanoi's economic reform efforts, a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

The agreement was reached during a 20-minute meeting between Japanese foreign minister Masahiko Komura and Vietnamese defense minister Pham Van Tra.

Tra, who is the first Vietnamese defense minister ever to visit Japan, was scheduled later in the day to meet Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Defense Agency Director Gen. Hosei Norota.

Tra gave high marks to Tokyo for its role in the Asian region, and conveyed Vietnam's commitment to work with other Asian nations for regional security, the official said in a briefing to reporters.