( Bqp.vn ) - At the invitation of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense led by Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of National Defense, arrived in Singapore to attend the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD-21) taking place from May 31 to June 2.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien attended the closing ceremony of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue.
The Shangri-La Dialogue is an official security forum founded by the IISS, held annually at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore since 2002. Guests attending the Shangri-La Dialogue are mainly Defense Ministers, Defense Commanders, scholars, and politicians from Asia- Pacific countries.
Through its participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue, Vietnam has always shown itself to be an active and responsible member of the international community, regularly presenting clear views on security challenges in the region, on the basis of persistently pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace , cooperation and development, diversifying and multilateralizing relations, and respecting international law.
* After 3 working days, the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue ended this afternoon (June 2). With more than 550 delegates attending, this year's Shangri-La Dialogue provided opportunities for substantive and serious discussions on the hottest security issues in the region and the world.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun speaks at the closing ceremony of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue
Current regional and world issues, such as the US-China competition, the conflict in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, the situation in the East Sea, the East China Sea, or the Taiwan (China) issue,... were seriously discussed by representatives of countries at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue.
Although there are still many differences and disagreements between some countries, in general, in most statements, senior defense representatives of countries, including the United States and China, emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue and prioritizing diplomatic solutions to resolve conflicts.
* Previously, on the afternoon of May 31, within the framework of the SLD-21 visit, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense delegation visited and worked at the Maritime Security Information Sharing Center (IFC) of the Singapore Navy and encouraged the liaison officers of the Vietnam People's Army working there. The IFC operates as a cooperation center with maritime operations centers, shipping companies, and relevant agencies to exchange data and share information to combat maritime threats and enhance maritime awareness. To date, Vietnam has deployed 22 officers to work at the IFC. All Vietnamese officers have been highly appreciated for the quality of their performance.
Delegation of the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam visited the IFC Center.
Vietnamese and Singaporean delegates take a group photo.
At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and the IFC commander discussed the organizational structure, tasks of the IFC, and the possibility of cooperation and exchange of maritime information with Vietnam in the future. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien highly appreciated the performance of the three Vietnamese liaison officers working at the IFC, and encouraged the officers to strive to complete their tasks well in the coming time.
* On the morning of June 1, within the framework of the second working day of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD-21) in Singapore, the first plenary session took place. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and the delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense attended the event.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien at the first plenary session of SLD-21
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the first plenary session.
The first plenary session of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue had the theme: “The US Strategic Partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region”. In his speech at the first plenary session, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin affirmed that the security interests of the United States are closely linked to the security interests of the Indo-Pacific region; at the same time, he emphasized the principles: Ensuring freedom, security and safety of navigation and aviation, freedom of trade at sea, and peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of respect for the law.
*On the morning of June 1, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien met with Dr. Bastian Giegerich, Director General and Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) - the organizer of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Dr. Bastian Giegerich, Director General and CEO of IISS.
At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien highly appreciated the role of the Shangri-La Dialogue in regional security and safety, affirming that Vietnam will continue to participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue, and at the same time suggested that the IISS Asia region strengthen research cooperation and academic exchanges with Vietnamese research institutions, including the Institute for Defense Strategy. The General Director and CEO of the IISS agreed and suggested that the two sides discuss specifically to shape the contents of cooperation in the coming time.
Within the framework of attending the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on June 1, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense and the delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense had many meetings and contacts with defense leaders of countries and partners to promote defense cooperation between Vietnam and partners.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien met with Permanent Secretary of the Singapore Ministry of Defense Chan Heng Kee.
At the meeting with Permanent Secretary of the Singapore Ministry of National Defense Chan Heng Kee, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien suggested that the two sides continue to promote the agreements agreed upon at the Vietnam - Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue in 2023 and promote cooperation in training, search and rescue, and digital transformation in the Army. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien proposed extending the working term of the Vietnamese liaison officer working at the Singapore Maritime Security Information Sharing Center. The Permanent Secretary of the Singapore Ministry of National Defense acknowledged the proposal of the Vietnamese delegation and affirmed that they will discuss specific details in the coming time.
*On the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on the morning of June 1, a meeting took place between the Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard and the Deputy Commander of the Japan Coast Guard. The two sides highly appreciated the results of cooperation between the two forces in recent times, especially in 2023 - the year the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the first months of 2024. The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in the fields of delegation exchange, experience sharing, and capacity building for the Vietnam Coast Guard.
Major General Le Quang Dao (far left) and delegates at the concurrent session.
Speaking at the concurrent session with the theme “Law enforcement at sea and trust building” on the afternoon of June 1, Major General Le Quang Dao, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, emphasized the importance of international cooperation and trust building in responding to maritime security challenges, and proposed three solutions to enhance cooperation in law enforcement at sea, including: Complying with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the laws of countries; promoting initiatives to effectively address maritime security challenges; building trust in implementing signed cooperation documents and in developing new cooperation documents. The speech of the Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard was positively received by the forum.
Source: https://mod.gov.vn/home/detail?current=true&urile=wcm:path:/mod/sa-mod-site/sa-ttsk/sa-tt-dnqp/doi-thoai-shangri-la-lan-thu-21-vi-hoa-binh-o-khu-vuc-va-the-gioi
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