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Sr. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang and other delegates |
The seminar was co-hosted by the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the US Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) and co-chaired by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the VPA, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hong Huong and USARPAC Commanding General Robert B. Brown.
In his opening speech, Sr. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the VPA and Deputy Defense Minister, said the Indo-Asia-Pacific region frequently faces various natural disasters and that being aware of the need to enhance cooperation in and outside the region to cope with non-traditional challenges and offer humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in particular, armies in Southeast Asia have promoted initiatives, such as establishing the ASEAN Militaries Ready Group and issuing a Code of Conduct on the use of military assets in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
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General Robert B. Brown hands over PAMS's flag to Sr. Lt. Gen. Pham Hong Huong. |
These were practical activities to realize the goal of One ASEAN - One Response adopted by ASEAN leaders in Vientiane, Laos in 2016, he added.
The Chief of the General Staff expressed his belief that joint work against common challenges will connect armies together, laying a foundation for collaboration in other fields for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region.
At the opening ceremony, delegates reviewed the establishment and development of PAMS and this is the first time Vietnam has hosted such a seminar.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang delivers a speech at the seminar. |
During the four-day event, there will be three plenary sessions on land forces’ initial responses to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), multilateral cooperation, and enhancing role of regional cooperation for HADR.
Besides discussions within the agenda, senior leaders will have bilateral, trilateral and multilateral meetings during the event. PAMS program also includes other activities and a farewell dinner. Those activities develop trust and confidence among armies.
PAMS is an annual military multilateral seminar that provides a forum for senior officers from regional ground forces to exchange views and ideas. It is not only a forum to enhance knowledge of concerned topics, but also provides opportunities for future leaders of regional armies and security forces to develop strong interpersonal relationship and strengthen existing bonds.
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Delegates in a joint photo |
The co-chairing the event of Vietnam represents the active, proactive and responsible role of the Vietnam People’s Army in dealing with common regional issues and contributes to promoting the image and position of Vietnam in general and the Vietnam People’s Army in particular. It also provides opportunities for the Vietnam People’s Army to introduce Vietnam’s culture, history and military capabilities.
Following the opening ceremony, General Huong and General Brown co-chaired a press conference to provide basic information about the seminar.
The two officials answered reporters’ questions about basic solutions to improving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
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PAMS 42’s 27 participating countries are the UK, India, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, the Republic of Korea, the US, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, China and Vietnam. |
Translated by Song Anh