At the meeting, the two sides affirmed the good friendship between Vietnam and Indonesia, two ASEAN member countries and maritime neighbors. The two sides have made continuous efforts to develop a comprehensive, substantive and effective cooperative relationship, in which the signing of the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone during the State visit to Indonesia in December 2022 by the President of Vietnam is an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries, creating a basis to promote cooperation between maritime forces, including the navies and coast guards of the two countries.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Lieutenant General Donny Ermawan, Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.

The two sides assessed that bilateral defense cooperation has developed in recent times, contributing positively to the overall development of Vietnam-Indonesia relations , notably in the following areas: Exchange of delegations at all levels; effective maintenance of the Defense Policy Dialogue mechanism at the Deputy Minister of Defense level; cooperation between the two countries' navies and coast guards; and continued promotion of intelligence training cooperation...

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien suggested that the two sides continue to coordinate well in preparing for the official visit to Indonesia and the participation in the ADMM and ADMM+ conferences of the Vietnamese Minister of National Defense; organize a Defense Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Minister of National Defense level in Vietnam at the end of October 2023; maintain and promote existing cooperation areas and expand cooperation in areas of potential and need for both sides such as: defense industry, military medicine, training; soon sign a Joint Patrol Agreement to enhance cooperation between the two navies; hope that the maritime law enforcement agencies of the two sides will humanely handle violations by fishermen and support Vietnam to soon have the yellow card of the European Union (EU) removed.

Meeting scene.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that Vietnam always attaches importance to multilateral cooperation, especially within the framework of ASEAN; affirmed that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense supports the Indonesian Ministry of National Defense in its capacity as ASEAN Chair in 2023; and believes that Indonesia's successful organization of military -defense conferences in 2023 will contribute to strengthening ASEAN's solidarity, unity and central role.

Lieutenant General Ermawan thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for its support and active participation in events organized by the Indonesian Ministry of National Defense as well as initiatives during Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship year.

News and photos: HOANG MINH

* Readers are invited to visit the Defense Foreign Affairs section to see related news and articles.