HANOI (Kyodo) Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Gia Khiem, agreed Saturday to strengthen security ties by launching a bilateral framework for consultations between high-level foreign and defense officials, a Japanese official said.
Okada, who was on a visit to Vietnam for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also pitched Japan's nuclear power generation technology and high-speed railway system for export to Vietnam, the official said.
The two countries will establish a so-called two-plus-two dialogue for a bilateral strategic partnership involving vice foreign ministers and director general-level defense officials, he said.