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The commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces welcomes Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong. |
After the welcoming ceremony, the host and Gen. Cuong held talks.
At the meeting, the commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces expressed his honor to receive General Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation in Brunei. He highlighted the visit, stressing that it is of special significance in boosting political trust, mutual understanding, and cooperation between the two militaries, making substantive contribution to developing the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Brunei.
Expressing thanks to the host for the solemn reception, General Cuong believed that the visit will help deepen the flourishing relations between the two militaries.
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Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong reviews the Guards-of-Honor of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. |
The Vietnamese chief of the General Staff underlined the constant development in the two countries’ relationship over the past time. Especially, since Vietnam and Brunei elevated their ties to the comprehensive partnership during the Sultan of Brunei’s official visit to Vietnam in March 2019, the bilateral relationship has been closer with high trust; trade and economic cooperation has been further strengthened.
General Cuong congratulated Brunei on its comprehensive achievements and spoke highly of the country’s role and active engagement in activities within the framework of ASEAN, including its defense cooperation initiative and its successful assumption of ASEAN Chair 2021.
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Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces introduces Brunei officers to Gen. Cuong. |
The Vietnamese general confirmed that the Vietnamese delegation’s visit to Brunei is more meaningful in the context that the two countries have celebrated the 30 years of their diplomatic ties (February 29, 1992 - 2022).
Also at the talks, the two sides agreed that on the basis of the bilateral defense cooperation deal signed in 2005, the two militaries have cooperated in all fields, importantly contributed to the development of the Vietnam - Brunei comprehensive partnership.
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Gen. Cuong sees images of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces’ activities. |
They also highlighted the exchange of all-level delegations, especially the high-level ones, and important outcomes in training, information exchange, and collaboration between services and arms.
They consented to continue to effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms, and support each other in multilateral forums, particularly within ASEAN, and bolster cooperation in fields that each side has strengths and needs.
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The senior leaders of the two militaries have defined many important cooperation contents to boost their comprehensive cooperation. |
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The Vietnamese delegation at the talks |
On this occasion, General Cuong thanked Brunei for supporting Vietnam in its ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 and accepted the invitation to send a delegation to the ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting and related meetings hosted by Brunei.
He also expressed his hope to receive leaders of the Ministry of Defense of Brunei and the commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces himself to the first Vietnam International Defense Expo 2022 slated for this December.
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The two head delegates exchange souvenirs. |
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The chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (right) visits a simulated cockpit at the multipurpose training center. |
In the afternoon the same day, Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong and the high-ranking Vietnamese military delegation visited the multipurpose training center under the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The center covers both military and civilian training in aviation, search and rescue, crisis management, to name but a few.
Reported by Tien Dat from Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Translated by Mai Huong