Vietnam wishes Japan to assist in building fire and rescue capacity

At the meeting, both sides agreed that, in recent times, Vietnam–Japan relations have witnessed strong, comprehensive and substantive development across various fields, including politics, economy, investment, security, defense and cultural exchanges, especially following the elevation of the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2023.

Regarding cooperation between the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Japanese partners, Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen noted that, in recent years, the MPS has implemented several cooperation programs and projects with the Japanese side in the field of fire prevention, firefighting and rescue, through JICA.

These projects, he added, have helped the MPS gain valuable experience in conducting fire prevention and rescue operations, develop technical training curricula, and train the Fire and Rescue Police Force to master modern vehicles, tools and equipment to better meet the force’s operational requirements.

To further enhance cooperation between the MPS and Japanese partner agencies, Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen proposed that JICA continue to boost the implementation of the project “Enhancing Capacity of the Fire and Rescue Police Force of Vietnam,” while considering transferring more fire prevention and rescue vehicles and equipment to Vietnam.

He also suggested that the Japanese side organize specialized professional training courses for Vietnamese fire and rescue police officers, send Japanese experts to Vietnam to conduct advanced training programs and receive Vietnamese police officers and firefighters to attend in-depth training courses in Japan.

The Deputy Minister further proposed that the Japanese side consider providing non-refundable aid packages of fire prevention and rescue vehicles and equipment to police units in localities across Vietnam, while considering about a technical assistance project on “Developing a training center, training models and laboratory” for the University of Fire Prevention and Fighting under the MPS.

Expressing thanks to Deputy Minister Le Van Tuyen for the warm reception, JICA Senior Vice President Naoki Ando affirmed that JICA will continue to promote cooperative relations with Vietnamese partners, including the MPS, in an effective and substantive manner commensurate with the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” between the two countries.