Speaking at the event, General Chien affirmed that through a long history of cooperation, the ASEAN-RoK relationship in general and their defense cooperation in particular have been developing constantly. In the fields of politics, defense and security, the RoK is an important partner of ASEAN and has made important contributions to ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms in the region, such as ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and especially the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
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Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien attends the event. |
The head of Vietnamese delegation also welcomed RoK’s "New Southern Policy Plus," affirming that this is a strong affirmation of the commitment of the RoK in cooperation with ASEAN countries for regional peace, security and prosperity.
General Chien said that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense is ready to play an active role in promoting ASEAN-RoK defense cooperation for common interests, especially in the fields of peacekeeping, cyber security, maritime security, and access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. He added that in the short-term, Vietnam’s Defense Ministry will closely coordinate with Brunei, the ASEAN Chair in 2021, in organizing the first informal meeting of ASEAN-RoK defense ministers on the sidelines of the ADMM Retreat later this year.
Regarding the East Sea (South China Sea) issues, the Vietnamese deputy defense minister suggested ASEAN and the RoK continue maintaining their stances to deal with issues by peaceful means on the basis of international law. He strongly believed that with goodwill and cooperation, ASEAN-RoK defense cooperation will continue developing to contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
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Scene of the meeting (Screen captured) |
At the meeting, delegates exchanged view on ASEAN-RoK relationship in general and defense cooperation in particular, affirming that RoK is an important partner of ASEAN. They also acknowledged and highly appreciated the RoK’s assistance for ASEAN in the COVID-19 fight over the past time and voiced their support to the country’s “New Southern Policy Plus.”
Highlighting the RoK’s active participation in ADMM+, delegates expected that the RoK-ASEAN relationship will develop strongly to effectively respond to common security challenges, contributing to peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.
Translated by Tran Hoai