Vietnam and Singapore agree on common direction for bilateral defense cooperation in the coming time

On the afternoon of October 5, at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense (Hanoi), Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Mr. Chan Heng Kee, Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense co-chaired the 14th Vietnam-Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue. This dialogue aims to review the results of bilateral defense cooperation in the past time since the 13th Vietnam-Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue (November 2022); discuss and agree on the general direction of bilateral defense cooperation in the coming time.

Scene of the 14th Vietnam - Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue. Photo: VNA.

The 14th Vietnam-Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue aims to review the results of bilateral defense cooperation in the past time, since the Dialogue session in November 2022, and at the same time discuss and agree on the general direction of defense cooperation between the two countries in the coming time. The two sides discussed the world and regional situations and issues of mutual concern, highly appreciating the role of the region and ASEAN-led mechanisms.

At the Dialogue, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace , friendship, multilateralization, diversification and a "four no's" defense policy. Regarding the East Sea issue, Vietnam's consistent stance is to persistently resolve all disagreements by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Regarding the direction of cooperation in the coming time, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien suggested that the two sides continue to make efforts to promote cooperation, focusing on the following areas: increasing the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, to promptly consult and share views on issues of mutual concern and cooperation orientations; continuing to perfect cooperation frameworks and mechanisms, promoting cooperation in human resource training, cooperation between the two countries' navies and air forces. At the same time, promote cooperation in potential areas such as cyber security, digital transformation, military medicine, defense industry, law, etc.; continue to consult and support each other at multilateral forums and mechanisms led by ASEAN, thereby making important contributions to strengthening ASEAN's central role.

At the end of the Dialogue, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Mr. Chan Heng Kee witnessed the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief between the Office of the National Committee for Incident, Disaster Response and Search and Rescue of Vietnam and the Regional Coordination Center for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief of Singapore./.

Thu Hang